


Love It If We Made It

by Blue_Velvet_Dark



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Abortion, Bisexuality, Condoms, Discussion of Abortion, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Everyone Is Gay, F/M, Feminist Themes, Head Injury, Long, Menstruation, Queer Themes, Reader-Insert, Safe Sane and Consensual, Seizures, Shameless Smut, Threesome, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2019-11-26 03:05:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18175019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Velvet_Dark/pseuds/Blue_Velvet_Dark
Summary: Kaiba Corp looms over the city, a beacon of excess in your unglamorous, unsatisfying life. With a small business to run and family to care for, how do you cope when the CEO of the world's biggest company asks you to help with his loneliness? Is this a date or a business deal?





	1. He's got a funny face, but I like that cause he still looks cool

Things had been difficult since your father’s funeral. Your mother was still feeling lost, even six months later, and you had to take over the candy shop in your father’s place. Of course, it didn’t help that you missed him like crazy, keeping a picture of the two of you in your cash register at work so you could still see him all the time.

But, things were also starting to look up. On the verge of bankruptcy, you had to find a way to get more business fast, and used some of your meager savings to fund advertisements and set up a catering side to the shop. You had seen something online about weddings and high profile birthday parties having “Candy Bars” instead of full meals, and you were now the only place in Domino City to provide that. It had definitely boosted sales, but it was also much tougher on you and your mom.

Every morning, your mother came in to open the shop. There was a small kitchen in the back, where she spent a couple hours baking fresh cookies and pastries. They were some of the most popular items in the store, especially your signature “Blue Eyes White Dragon” shaped cookies.

You had the mornings off, not coming in until noon. It was there you stayed until the shop closed at 8 every night. Just like you did tonight, nearly falling asleep behind the counter as you waited for the last 15 minutes to pass by. Thursdays weren’t very busy days, understandably, so you hadn’t had a customer in the past hour. You had run out of things to look at online, it seemed, so it was all just a waiting game now. You didn’t really anticipate anyone coming in this late.

Then the limo pulled up.

You thought this was odd, maybe they just needed directions. There weren’t many people who drove - or, rather, rode in - limousines here in the city, and you couldn’t see those that did stopping into a colorful little candy store.

You could just barely make out what was happening outside through the rain beating against the windows and the glare of the setting sun, and you squinted, trying to get a better look. But it wasn’t until the door opened that you could see who was coming in.

The man was tall, brunette, and somewhat angular - but he most certainly filled out his crisp, clean suit nicely. He was straightening out the cuffs on his jacket as he walked in, stopping just inside the door to look around. He looked like he was judging the rows of candies and sweets, but maybe that was just his face.

“Good evening!” You said, trying to sound perky. He turned to look at you with that same judging look, and it took you back for a second. It felt like he was looking through you instead of at you, but you could almost forgive him for it - you were now noticing just how good looking he was. “If you need any help, my name is Takara.”

“I’m sure I can find my way around myself.” He replied coldly. You almost answered with something snarky, but managed to bite it back and pretend to clean the counter.

He meandered around for a couple minutes as you watched, picking up little packages of candy and put them down. He did, however, pick up two bags of assorted hard candies and carry them with him as he continued to look at everything. You checked the clock on the wall. 7:56. You weren’t going to say anything, as the policy was that if someone showed up before 8, they could keep looking as long as they liked. Besides, you liked the view.

He abruptly turned around, catching you in your stare. You stood up straight and turned away, feeling your ears get hot. “ _Fucking idiot,_ ” you mentally scolded yourself over and over. Hopefully he wasn’t offended.

After a minute of looking anywhere but at him, you hazarded a glance his way. He was now at the pastry case, bent at the waist and looking very intently at the Blue Eyes cookies. He grabbed a floral printed pastry bag and took out three cookies, then turned and came towards you.

“These will be all.” His voice was low, and he set the cookies and hard candies on the counter. You typed everything into the computer, read his total, and he swiped his card on the pinpad.

“Do you need a receipt?” You asked him as the transaction finalized.

He shook his head. “Though I do have a question.”

“Yessir?”

“Why were you staring at me?”

You felt your face burn and turn red. This was the worst thing ever and you wished you could melt and get sucked down a drain. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“Come on, spit it out.” He said sternly, placing his hands on the counter.

You swallowed hard, but tried to be as brave as you could be. There was nothing to lose by saying the truth, unless he actually was offended and ruined your shop's reputation. As you looked him in the eyes, you said, “Sorry if I offended you, I just think you’re… an attractive man.”

He smirked, leaning forward on his hands a little more. “Good. Then you shouldn’t have an issue coming out with me for drinks when you close up. I would like to have a pretty woman to keep me company.”

You felt your entire body tense. It took a minute for you to wrap your head around what was happening. You couldn't even recall the last time someone had asked you to go out for drinks or anything, and you certainly weren't expecting it to happen today. You were suddenly _very_ aware of the flour on your shirt from stocking the kitchen earlier.

“I appreciate the idea, and I would love to go. But I don’t even know your name.” You stammered out. Feeling warm, you touched your cheek and sure enough you were blushing so hard you were hot to the touch.

He straightened up and reached in his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. He opened it to the first flap and held it out so that you could see, in the clear protective casing, his driver’s license. Suddenly you felt sick.

“Seto Kaiba? As in _KaibaCorp_ Kaiba?” You squeaked. You wanted to hide for not knowing who he was beforehand.

“The one and only. And if it’s okay with you, I would like to take you out tonight. No funny business, I promise.” He held up his pinky, which, honestly, was kind of endearing. “Just say yes, I don’t think you’ll regret it.”

He was demanding, but you didn’t feel like saying “no” was the right response somehow. Part of you felt small and like you should hide. Another part screamed at you to go, that this was the only chance you may get to go on a date with a handsome billionaire. You knew which side was going to win.

You face apparently gave away your feelings on the subject, as Seto didn’t wait for a reply. “How long will it take you to close the store?”

“About twenty minutes, it doesn’t take long.” You remembered just then to reach behind you and clicked the light for the open sign off. “Do you want me to meet you, or-”

“I’d rather you ride with me. It’s okay if you want to text someone for safety, but it will be easier, just in case you have a drink too many to drive.”

That made sense, but most importantly, he was offering a real limo ride. You had seen pictures of limos with all that open space, but had never been in one. You wondered briefly what his was like, but then realized you’d see in a few minutes.

He glanced back at his watch. “Just don’t keep me waiting.” Without anything else, he took his bag of candies and walked out the door, the ring of the bell waking you up. Immediately, you took out your phone and called your best friend, Nanami. While you counted the drawer and swept, you told her about everything that had just happened and asked for her to text you in two hours as your safety contact, just to make sure you didn’t get murdered. You could finally see outside as the rain began to slow, and told her his license plate numbers. She squeaked as she wrote them down, saying how lucky your were. You didn’t know if it was luck, exactly…

  
  


You cleaned up in record time, and set the alarm. You grabbed your purse and ran out the door, locking it behind you. As you turned around, his limo was still there, as promised. A plump man in a black suit opened the door to the back of the limo, holding an umbrella for you. You walked towards him nervously, putting your keys in your purse, and slid into the seat on the limo.

There in the back was a seat facing forward, towards the driver, and one that ran the length of the side of the limo across from the door. The seats were black and made of a very soft, luxurious leather. Everything looked pristine and new, like he had never even sat back here, unlike your car that was full of clothes and water bottles.

“Hi,” You said as you got comfortable in the seat beside Seto, at a loss for words. “Come here often?”

“Frequently.” He replied dryly, typing away on his phone. The driver got into his position behind the steering wheel, and slowly took off. There was a moment of silence as he finished whatever he was doing, then slid the phone back into his pocket. “Thank you for not keeping me waiting. I’m sure you’ve heard I’m not a patient man.”

You had certainly heard a lot of things about Mr. Kaiba, most of which were not pleasant. But, you knew he had a heart for orphans and games, so you reasoned that he couldn’t be all that bad.

“Well, I’ve heard good things about you, too.” You said, trying to echo your thoughts.

He gave a little grin, as if that were funny. “Have you? Good to know.” He stretched out his legs, reaching all the way to the other seat. “How long have you worked at the candy shop?”

“Since I was a child, really. It was my father’s store, but he passed away six months ago and left it to me.”

“Sorry to hear that.” You didn’t know if you believed him. “How are sales?”

You turned your body slightly more towards him so that you could more easily look at each other. “Up from last year, thank goodness. Not enough to be sustainable yet. Working on it, It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be, raising it from the dead.”

Seto gave another little grunt of acknowledgement, plucked his phone out of his pocket again, and started to text again. Not much of a conversationalist, apparently. But then again, what had you contributed? He was asking all of the questions.

“Are you developing anything new and interesting? I haven’t heard much in the news lately, and normally KaibaCorp is all over everything.”

He was silent for a second as he finished up scrolling through what you could see was his e-mail account. When he locked his phone screen, he barely glanced at you to say, “We’re focusing on opening a new KaibaLand in France. Set to open in about six months. Developing new games systems - most aren’t cutting it though, so don’t expect to see one on shelves anytime soon. Improvements to the duel disks holographic interface are coming up, and I’ve got my eyes set on making several deals to buy companies in the next year.”

Your eyes widened. You thought you had a lot on your plate, but this was next level. “Jeez, maybe you can give me some pointers about how to make my shop better, because I’m nowhere close to as good at this as you are.”

He turned towards you, obviously thinking. You didn’t want to interrupt him, so for a few seconds you just watched each other silently. “Have you thought of opening an online store?”

Oh! That was so simple! You wanted to beat yourself in the head for not thinking of it yourself. You shook your head no to him, feeling stupid. “I guess I hadn’t, that sounds like a perfect idea.”

Seto turned away from you, leaning back into the seat. “Impress me tonight, and I’ll see about setting you up with the people who run the KaibaCorp websites. I’m sure they can easily start getting you set up.”

You nodded, but couldn’t find the words to express your feelings. How were you, the college dropout with nothing interesting to say, supposed to impress the unimpressable? It’s not that you were boring or bad looking, but you didn’t feel like you were on his level in any capacity.

The rest of the short ride was filled with idle chat - you both liked your whiskey neat - while he typed away emails destined for who-knows-where. When the limo pulled up to the curb outside of a well lit, beautiful building with smoke rising from the chimneys, Seto smirked at you.

“Have you ever been here?” He asked, moving to get out of his seat.

“Only in my dreams,” you replied as you looked out the window. It was a bar, but a nice one. It wasn’t a sleazy dance club or a place where drunks go to save a dollar on their cheap booze. It was more of a cigar club, were wealthy businessmen came to discuss business off the clock. You once looked at their online menu and a simple white russian was $20.

“Neither have I. But I’ve heard good things, and I like an adventure.” The driver had silently gotten out and came to open the door just as you reached for the handle.

“Oh, thank you,” You said as you slid out of your seat and onto the sidewalk. Seto came out right behind you, standing uncomfortably close before you took a couple steps forward to put some distance between you. He came up beside you, and offered you his arm. Your nerves started to come back and you timidly accepted his gesture, wrapping your arm through his.

“Mr. Kaiba, I don’t-” You started, but got cut off.

“I like to keep business and pleasure separate, so unless you’re working for me, Seto is fine.”

You cleared your throat as he began walking and you almost stumbled trying to go with him. “Seto, I don’t know if I’m the type that belongs in a place like this. I’m not like these people, I’m - I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt with my shop logo on it, for God’s sake.”

“Good, you can advertise while you’re here,” He replied. You couldn’t tell if he was joking. He continued, “You’re not required to prove your income at the door. And if it’s money you’re worried about, don’t. You can’t drink enough to damage my check book.”

As he opened the door, you went ahead of him and were greeted by the sounds of a piano and the scent of tobacco and mint and faint cologne. You felt dizzy as your eyes adjusted to the darker atmosphere and you saw pretty waitresses talking up older men in suits. There were bottles of everything you could imagine along the back wall, and to the right of the main seating area, behind the counter, were boxes and boxes of cigars along a shelf. A bubbly woman your age held out her hand for your ID, and you fished in your purse to show it to her. Not surprisingly, she didn’t ask to see Seto’s.

She led the two of you to a round table in the corner with a deep red tablecloth, and set menus between you and Seto. He didn’t bother looking at them.

“Whatever your nicest zinfandel is,” He ordered, before looking at you expectantly.

You felt rushed, so you blurted out the first thing that came to mind - “Watermelon mojito, please,” and she left towards the bar to get them made.

Your eyes turned away from her shapely figure as she sauntered off, and back to the equally attractive man seated across from you. His fingers were intertwined on the table, and he looked to be studying you.

“Why did you ask me here tonight?” You blurted before you could stop yourself. It sounded rude.

“Are you complaining?”

“Not at all. I just don’t understand - I don’t really get asked out for drinks frequently.”

He was silent for a minute, turning his head to look at the piano player, then around at the couches where cigar smoking men in suits like his were lounging and laughing. “Do you have siblings?”

You furrowed your brow. It didn’t answer your question, but you decided to play along for now. “I’m the oldest of four. Two brothers and a sister.” Just then, his wine came out, and he took the glass delicately and sipped it.  

After he swallowed and looked pleased, he turned his gaze back to meet your eyes. “I have just one brother, and he’s the only person I feel strongly for. He’s truly my rock in life. He left for college a few months ago. It’s hard to find good company when all anyone cares about is money or fame.” He took another sip. “So it was important to me when you didn’t recognize me, that’s why I asked why you were staring. Calling me attractive helped, too.”

“So, because I didn’t recognize you, and I was honest that I think you’re cute, you asked me out?” You said, trying to make sure you understood properly.

“That’s the first part of it. The second part is that I find myself needing companionship, but I’m not a very… agreeable person. I want to give you the proposition, if you will, that we give each other a chance tonight. If we don’t hate each other by the end of it, perhaps consider making this a habit - dinner, drinks, business functions…”

You contemplated his words for a minute, and waited to see if he would continue. When he didn’t, you asked for clarification again. “If we find each other acceptable, we date?”

His grip on his glass visibly tightened at the suggestion. “I don’t know that I would call it that. I’ve never been called an ‘affectionate’ man. I don’t know that I will romance you - but for your companionship, there will be benefits. Nice clothes, jewelry, status, entertainment. I can set up things for your shop and make things happen that you can’t get elsewhere. But I have expectations -”

“Like what?” You interrupted.

He looked like he was struggling for words, and took another drink. You were startled just then as your cocktail came out and was set before you. You thanked the waitress, and took an eager drink, finding your mouth dry suddenly.

Finally, he began to elaborate. “I like fine things. Expensive drinks, good food, fast cars, and pretty women. In public settings with me, or at my office, I expect you to be well dressed and well mannered. I can take care of the clothing, if we agree to see each other again. I expect punctuality. You are free to decline ‘dates’ but I expect you not to be a flake. And, most importantly, I expect that you respect my boundaries with you. I take things slow, and I see where they go before I make promises that I can’t keep.”

Your head was swimming, and it wasn’t the drink. This was a lot to take in, but you couldn’t help but find yourself intrigued. You didn’t know about the gift giving and the eccentricities, but you found him sincere and open with his desires, and it made you a little more at ease with the idea of at least giving him a shot.

“Do you… Do you expect sex?” You said, just barely audible over the piano in the background.

He shook his head immediately. “I will never ask you to do anything, especially with your body, that you don’t want. I won’t even ask you to take my hand if you say you’re uncomfortable with it. There will be mutual respect.” The last sentence was said as more of a demand.

You nodded gently, drinking a little more. All in all, it seemed like he was asking you to just be there for him - he may have some rules about what to wear, but that wasn’t too problematic, you thought. Surely you could use a break from jeans and flats every once in a while. And he seemed lonely, what with his brother being gone and all. You felt a pang of pity ripple across your chest. With another drink, you finished your mojito off.

“Okay,: You said after some quiet contemplation. “I’ll give you a shot tonight. As long as I feel respected, I think I can keep you company.”

If he was pleased by your acceptance, he didn’t show it physically. It was becoming clear that he had a very flat affect unless his ego was being stroked. This might make things difficult…

“In that case,” he started, waving the waitress back over to the table. “Let me get to know you, Takara.”

You ordered another drink, and began talking openly about yourself. He wasn’t as forthcoming, but you didn’t mind being the one to talk. You told him a little about everything - growing up, your family, that you dropped out of your robotics program when your father got sick - and it was at this last one that his face finally showed a little bit of surprise.

“You’ll have to finish your degree. There are so many ways robotics could change things for you. I could even consider hiring you to work on features in Kaiba Land.”

You chuckled and tucked a lock of hair behind your ears. “I might consider finishing up school, if I can get the shop stable enough to hire some help. Right now it’s just me and my mother and my little brother if one of us can’t work. But I don’t know if I have what it takes to be a KaibaCorp employee, I know you’re a demanding guy.” Somewhat shockingly, he gave a little nod to agree with you.

You decided, on your third drink - a glass of scotch - that you wanted to know more about him. You were feeling a little more comfortable as inebriation slowly set in, so you crossed your legs and tried to think of something to get him talking. He had just lit a cigar, and the woody scent was floating around you in a comfortable haze.

“How did you become the owner of KaibaCorp so young? And what made you turn it into a games company?”

Seto blew smoke above his head, watching it dissipate for a moment before meeting your eyes. “I won it. My… father was being irresponsible with things I designed, and I wasn’t going to let him mutilate my dreams. So I acquired the majority of the shares with the executives, and I took it from him. I have no interest in war. Being paid money to manufacture death disgusts me thoroughly, but I’ve been interested in games for my entire life.”

“And that evolved into Kaiba Land, too?”

“No,” He finished his fourth drink, having picked up the pace to make sure you weren’t out-drinking him. His face was starting to flush, but he maintained composure very well. “Kaiba Land came first. I wanted a place where children could go to escape, especially children in poverty and orphans. Children don’t deserve the heartache of the real world, so I want them to have a place free from it.”

That honestly was touching to hear, and you smiled as you leaned your elbows on the table. “That’s sweet,” You said quietly, and watched him turn his head away from you. “You’re not all monster, you know.”

“Tell that to the press.” He snorted defiantly, still not looking at you. But he was clearly becoming uncomfortable with being questioned, so hen turned it back on you. “And what about you? You run what is essentially the dream store for children. You could have left it to fail, but something about it is clearly important to you.”

You thought about that for a second. “It’s a happy place. People come there for things that make them feel good, not for things they need. Anyone can come in and find something to smile about, and if they don’t have money, sometimes I… lose a little inventory, but I get paid in happiness.”

Even though he was avoiding looking at you, you saw the corner of his lips turn up just slightly, before they settled back into the emotionless flat affect.

It was then you got your safety call from Nanami, and you excused yourself to the bathroom, quickly recapping to her what had been discussed as far as future dates. She sounded a little disappointed that he was a slow mover and said that it sounded more like he just wanted arm candy. You brushed her off, and promised you’d call her with any more developments before heading back to the table.

The two of you then chattered about local happenings. You weren’t too well versed in politics, but he explained a few things, and found out he was quite the lobbyist for certain things. To your surprise, it wasn’t for tax reform or decreased regulations, but for things like increased workplace safety and the continued expansion of equal rights. That’s when you decided you were comfortable enough - or drunk enough, having finished three more cocktails - to let him know a secret.

“I’m not… only attracted to men.” You said with a slow sigh, wondering what the reaction was. But he just raised his eyebrows.

“So women, too?”

“Men, women, and anyone outside of that. Not many people know that about me, but I just think there’s so many good, attractive people out there, and their gender doesn’t influence that.”

“That’s interesting,” he mumbled, then, noticing your look, added, “Not in a bad way. I just didn’t expect it.” He decided not to say anything about himself on this matter, instead standing up from the table and laying a small fortune on the table to cover the tab.

“You’re slurring,” his voice was still crisp and low as he offered his hand to you. “I don’t want you too drunk to stand, let’s get you home.”

You took his hand, smiling as you stood, and like before, you linked arms. You couldn’t help but think how pleasant the night had been as you walked outside. It was a little surprising, honestly - there were a few surprises and bumps, but it was so nice to sit and talk with someone genuine for a change. It didn’t really feel like a date, but more like the beginning of a journey.

Seto slid into the limo first, scooting over to the side so that you could get in after him. Once you were seated, you noticed he was a little closer than he had been on the ride over. He didn’t touch you or try to hold your hand, which was a little disappointing, but you remembered that he had warned you he wasn’t very affectionate. You decided that was probably okay, and you would respect his boundaries as long as yours were equally respected.

You gave the driver the directions to you house, then settled back into the plush seat, angling yourself so your head could rest on the doorframe behind you.

When you arrived outside of the small house you called home your entire life, Seto stepped outside with you.

“Thank you for tonight,” You said, clutching your purse to your chest. “You’re pretty good company so far.”

He smirked at you again. “You as well, Takara. I’d like to do something a little more formal soon. If you’re still giving me chances, I’d appreciate if you stopped by my office tomorrow about ten. Wear whatever you have that’s nice, I want to send you with my secretary to buy an evening gown so that we can have dinner. I’m busy tomorrow evening, but I’m free Saturday. How does that sound?”

Your heart fluttered a bit, and you willed it to stop. You should be a little more reserved like him. You gave him a nod anyway, hoping nothing on your face gave away your emotions. “I’ll be there at ten o’clock, then.”

As one last surprise for the night, he reached up and smoothed back your hair from your face. But without anything else, he turned to get back in the limo, leaning forward so he could see you one last time. “Good night, Takara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw a meme and I wanted to write about Seto Kaiba lmao. I plan on making this a longer series. I also plan on making this a kind of heavy story - there will be discussions/descriptions of abortion, pregnancy, safe/unsafe sex, traumatic brain injury, serious injuries, epilepsy, LGBT+ themes, and things I have yet to decide on. If you have any of these triggers, please be safe reading this. There will, however, eventually be ample amounts of fluff and smut, so... not all doom and gloom. Tags to be added in time as plot gets solidified.


	2. And We Just Came To Act a Fool, Is That Alright?

Once you were home, everyone else was asleep. You tucked yourself into bed and set your alarm, barely feeling tired. You were giddier than you had any right to be, and it took a long time to get tired enough to get to sleep. You didn’t have very sweet dreams, however. You were plagued with a nightmare that you were kept breaking everything you touched and an angry mob formed, and you woke up feeling a little down. That was, until you remembered your appointment with Seto this morning. 

It was tough picking out what would be the most acceptable to wear to his office, but you settled on a navy blue dress with a lace neckline that you had bought to be worn to your father’s funeral. It fit nicely, it’s wasn’t jeans, and it was clean. You figured that should be enough to skirt by his requirements. You had pinned back your hair and done some simple make-up to try to boost the look. You started to wonder, though, why you were putting more effort into this...

“Hurry up, I need to get started baking!” Your mother, Motoko, called out from the kitchen. Because your car was still at the shop, you decided to wake up early to get a ride with her to get it instead of taking public transit. It’s not that it was a long trip, but you were lazy and didn’t much like buses.

You grabbed your purse and followed her out to the car. Once you were out on the road, your mother asked what you knew she was going to.

“So, were you out with friends last night, or...?”

“I, erm, got asked out to drinks, so I was a little too tipsy to drive.” You looked out the window, not wanting to see your mother’s judging looks. 

“Oh,” she said, trying to sound cheery. “Who is he?”

This question was going to be a doozy. “You’re not gonna believe it, but it was Seto Kaiba.”

Motoko clicked her tongue. “I don’t like lying, Takara. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine, you’re an adult, but don’t lie.”

“I’m not lying, mama!” you defended, maybe a little too loudly. You had snapped your head towards her and gave her a pout. “We went in a limo, and he bought me drinks, and he wants to see me today at Kaiba Corp.”

She hazarded a glance towards you, then back to the road. “So you really went on a date with that tycoon?”

Now you were blushing. Your mom was a tabloid reader, and you knew some of the things they said about Seto. “He’s really not that bad. He even said he would help us start an online store to get business better.”

“Did he try anything with you? Because I swear, I’ll-”

“He was a perfect gentleman the entire time. He didn’t even touch me, or ask me to go home with him. He just wanted some company.” It was then that you decided to paraphrase what he said he wanted from you - you didn’t give her all the details, about dress rules and such, but you let her know most of what he wanted. “I think he’s just lonely without his brother, and I guess I caught his eye first.”

“Tsk, tsk,” She was pulling behind the shop now. “Be careful. You can make your own decisions, but you know I’ll be there to stab a motherfucker if he hurts you.”

“Mom!”

  
  
  


When you pulled into Kaiba Corp’s parking lot, you had to park in the guest lot, which was way, way far away from the entrance. You groaned - it was starting to get hot in the summer sun, and you wanted to be in the air conditioning faster. But you walked quickly in, and were floored by what you saw.

The lobby was expansive beyond what you had imagined. It had insane vaulted ceilings and a huge, glittering chandelier. The walls were all chrome, and the floors were sparkling white. There were people walking each and every way, phones ringing, projections being played on the walls. It was honestly intimidating, but after a moment of awe, you resolved to get to his office right at 10 o’clock, so you beelined for the receptionist's desk. 

After having to stand in a short line, it was your turn. “Hi,” you said breathily to the older lady behind the counter. “My name is Takara Ito, Seto-- I mean, Mr. Kaiba, told me to come in at 10 today.”

She raised a brow at you. You definitely looked out of place, but surely it wasn’t that hard to believe. “Give me a moment.” She picked up the phone and dialed a couple numbers. After a few seconds, it seemed someone on the other end picked up. “Yes, Midori? I have a ‘Takara Ito’ in the lobby, I just wanted to confirm she had an appointment.” She listened for a second, then nodded to herself. “Thank you, Midori.” With a click, she hung up and pointed to an elevator that had a guard stationed beside it. “Please wait beside that elevator. Roland will be down to get you shortly.”

You thanked her, then headed towards the guard. He was standing perfectly straight and still, an earpiece cord dangling to the side of his bald head, and a gun in a holster at his waist. “How intimidating,” you whispered to yourself, coming to stand in front of him.   
  
“This elevator is not for public use, ma’am.” The guard said gruffly.

“Oh, I’m waiting for Roland. Is it okay if I stand here?”

He grunted and shrugged his shoulders. It was very awkward, just then, as you stood quietly in a bustling lobby, staring at the guards shiny shoes. It seemed to be taking forever, and you were starting to wonder if you needed to go back to the receptionist. That’s when you heard the elevator bell chime, and the doors opened. An older man with a very dominating appearance and a thin mustache held the door open. 

“Takara?” He asked, and you nodded. He gestured for you to enter the elevator with him, and you hopped in beside him.

“You must be Roland? Are you Seto’s bodyguard?”

He laughed as he pressed the button for the top floor. “Sometimes. But I’m mostly his business advisor and confidante, and when he hosts events I’m Master of Ceremonies.”

You smiled up at him. “That’s a lot of titles you’ve got, I take it you’ve been around him a long time.”

He nodded as the elevator hummed quickly upwards. “Been around since well before he took over the company. We’ve had a pretty close bond most of his life.”

You thought that was sweet, and that Roland seemed to be a kind person. “So,” You began, deciding to get a little information about Seto out of him. “What is the best thing about working for Seto?”

Roland thought about that for a minute before saying, “Probably that it’s just nice to work with someone who is so consistently hard working and has such devotion for what he does. He loves this company, and he takes a lot of pride in what he’s built. There’s not a lot of people in this world who so passionate about everything they do. 

There wasn’t time for much more chit chat as the elevator slowed and the doors opened into a welcoming lounge with soft looking gray chairs, a massive bookcase to the side, and a desk where a pretty blonde was sitting, reading through a stack of papers.

The blonde looked up as you and Roland stepped out, giving you a pearly smile that made your heart stop. “Hello gorgeous,” you thought, hoping your face wasn’t displaying anything you were thinking.

She pressed a button on the phone on her desk and cheerfully said, “Mr. Kaiba, Miss Takara is here to see you. Should I send her in?”

After a second, Seto’s voice came back through the speaker, clear as day. “Bring her in, and you come, too. I’m sending you on an errand with her today.” She gave a quick “yessir” and stood up, her heels clicking on the marble floors.

“Hi,” you said, as she approached you and offered her hand. You took it firmly and noticed how soft her skin was.

“Hello, I’m Midori. It’s nice to meet you. We better not keep him waiting, though, he’s still in a good mood today.” Her smile was infectious, and you couldn’t help but beam back at her.

She led you over to the ornate doors straight across the lounge, and slid one open before entering. You and Roland followed her in, and he shut the door behind you. 

The room was immaculate, everything in its place. Books were organized in order of color along the wall, and floor to ceiling windows let in the morning light. The other side of the room was adorned with large photos of Kaiba, awards, and artwork , all arranged in a way that made it seem like one cohesive story of his time here.

And the man of the hour himself was seated behind a large wooden desk with neat stacks of binders and folders and loose pages, a sleek computer, and a little name placard that cheekily said “Boss.”

Seto finished typing something as you looked around, turning on your heel as you looked at the very modern lighting fixtures above your head. “You’ve met Midori,” He said, and you snapped around to look at him. “She’s going to be taking you today to find something to wear tomorrow. She’s very familiar with my tastes, and I expect you two will get along well.” He beckoned for Midori to come over to him, and held out a card for her. She took it with a curtsey and returned to your side. “Do you have any questions?”

“Ah, where will we be going?” You asked as Roland walked behind the desk to stand behind Seto.

“The Bell Tower. I’ve never been, but I’ve been told it’s good. I have a private room reserved, so I anticipate a nice, quiet evening.”

You raised your eyebrows. The Bell Tower was a very upscale restaurant that had opened a couple years ago. You had also heard a lot of great things, but didn’t personally know anyone who had ever been because of just how expensive it was. You had, however, once met a waiter from there who said that it was one of the best jobs he had ever had, so it was good that they treated their workers well.

“Anything else?” but before you could even think of anything, he gestured for you to leave. Midori took your hand and pulled you gently back out of the office. Once the door was closed behind you, she looked you up and down.

 

“We need to look for something… green.” She said with a nod.

“Green?” You felt like you were getting more confused by the second. “Oh, you mean as far as a dress goes?”

“Yep, you’d look great in something maybe forresty. But we better go, he doesn’t like for me to be gone too long.” She walked behind her desk with swaying hips and grabbed her big silver purse, and tucked his card into a pocket on the inside. 

On the elevator ride down, and the ensuing walk to a nearby boutique, you told Midori your sizes, and then you found out that she had been working for Seto for three years now, and was essentially on-call every hour of the day. She told you about how once Seto had been bedridden with the flu and he called her at fifteen past three in the morning to bring him medicine and food. You asked if the proposal he had given you last night was something he did often, and she just shook her head and said that as far as she knew, he hadn’t seemed to have a desire to be around much of anyone until recently. She had even found herself filling in for Mokuba, coming over to the Kaiba manor to duel him or have dinner once in a while. 

“I promise, though, there’s nothing going on,” She said, trying to reassure you.

“Oh, no! I wasn’t thinking there was, but even if there was, I’m not… expecting this to turn romantic or anything. He didn’t really indicate he was looking for someone to be with, you know. Just someone to spend time with.”

Midori groaned loudly and rolled her eyes. “You have got to learn to read him, and quick. Like, his brother and his company kept him busy, so he didn’t care about dating or anything. But with Mokuba in college he’s lonely. And if he just wanted company, he has Roland and me, and tons of staff to cater to him. He doesn’t want company, he wants a partner.”

You thought about that for a second. “So, last night was… a date date, and he just didn’t admit it?”

She nodded. “It wasn’t that he won’t admit it, I just don’t think he knows what he wants. He’s used to just getting what he wants, now he has to figure it out for himself. We’re here!”

You looked at the shop window you were standing in front of. Silver mannequins were displayed in nice clothes - long, sparkling evening gowns and knee length cocktail dresses on one side, suits and professional wear on the other. A you and Midori entered the store, it smelled like fresh linen and lemons, and the lights were a little brighter than you expected. A clerk in the back gave you a wave and told you that you were free to ask any questions. Midori made a beeline for the wall, where dresses upon dresses were displayed, and started flipping through them. 

It looked different than the clothing stores you visited. You were looking through a rack for several minutes when you noticed, there were no duplicates. Each dress was different, so you couldn’t just get something in a different size. You didn’t say anything to Midori about it, but it was definitely a different experience. 

When you turned around to look for Midori, she already had a stack of dresses folded neatly over her arm, and had made her way to the end of the long rack. She worked quick!

When she was done, she approached you and transferred the dresses to your arms. They were heavy, some silky and some with delicate beading. She had picked out a lot of green, but also some blues, purples, reds, and silvers.

“Okay, so Seto likes long dresses, not crazy about heavy embellishment, and he hates anything frilly. Limited pinks and pastels. Fitted is best, slinky dresses are good for black tie or white tie events, and the better your ass and hips look, the more he’s going to like it.” She leaned in close. “And this is a guess, but if you want to fuck him, tight and black are your best bets.”

You blushed as she pushed you towards the changing rooms. “That’s good to know. How do you know all this?”

She shrugged. “He likes to read fashion magazines in the mornings while I make his coffee, and there are ways to ask him things where he gives you good answers. You do have to do some interpreting though.” She opened the changing room door for you, than took a seat inside. You weren’t totally prepared for her to come in with you while you changed, but you weren’t mad if a pretty girl saw you undressed.

You hung the dresses up on the provided hook, and leafed through them. They were nicer than anything you owned, and you suddenly wanted to take them all home. You weren’t going to abuse your new privileges like that, but you decided that this may just be worth putting up with an attitude for.

You realized why Midori came in with you when you slithered into your first dress - they could be hard as fuck to zip. She helped you out and you pulled the fabric down a little further. It was tight and blue and beautiful, but Midori immediately said it wasn’t the right one.

And that’s how it went for the next thirty minutes. You shimmied around in dress after dress, putting most on another hook to be put back, and just a few were kept on a seperate hook to consider. When you had tried on all of them, you had three to decide between.

“Which one did you like best?” you asked her after you had been staring at the dresses for several minutes. There was an emerald dress that had a kind of cape draped around the shoulders, tucked in place with silver embroidery. The next was a blue, off the shoulder silk dress that kind of looked like a cross between a peacoat and a ball gown. The last was a burgundy velvet, fitted dress with spaghetti straps and a low back

Midori sighed and crossed her arms. “It’s tough. Personally, I like the blue, and if you were going on a date with me, that’s what I would pick.” Jackpot. “Green was my favorite color on you, but for Kaiba, I think he would go for the burgundy one. He’s going to love it on you.”

Honestly, you thought that was the nicest one, too, and you loved the feel of it as you ran your hands across the velvet. “Good, then this one it is.”

You helped Midori put the rest of the dresses back on the rack, and set aside the chosen dress with the clerk while Midori poured over shoes in the back of the store. You loved shoes - or at least, you loved looking at them. You never found a reason to get dressed up in heels, so it was always flats or sneakers, maybe the occasional wedge when you were feeling confident. This made you worry that you weren’t going to be steady in heels, and falling was the last thing you wanted to do.

Midori had you try on several pair, and you two gushed over them all, but none really felt like they went with the dress. Finally, she picked out a pair of strappy silver pumps, and you found them pretty comfortable, so those were chosen for tomorrow, too. After purchasing both, and getting a heavy dose of sticker shock, you meandered out of the shop together, carrying a long garment bag and nice bag to carry the shoes in. 

“We have to make one more stop before we head back to Kaiba Corp.” Midori said, pointing just up the street to a little coffee shop. “He sent me a text a little while ago asking for coffee, so I can show you how he likes it while we’re here.”

Inside, Midori ordered three coffees - one for you - and asked for a spoon. At the cream and sugar station, she held it up. “So, for a twenty ounce coffee, he gets two spoons of cream. Nothing flavored, just cream.” She demonstrated by actually measuring it out and you shook your head. He was so picky. “Three packets of sugar. Always a medium roast, and preferably freshly brewed, but he’s actually not so particular on that.”

“Unlike everything else,” You huffed, stirring in cream and sugar to your own coffee. Midori gave you a little nudge with her elbow as she put a lid and sleeve on the cup.

“He’s got very specific tastes, yes. But he’s not too bad. There’s just ways to do things to make him happier. If he’s in a bad mood, there are ways to calm him down, and if he yells at you, don’t take it personally. He yells at me constantly, but I know it’s not about me. He runs a huge company practically on his own- he’s going to be stressed.” The two of you exited the shop with your coffees and headed in the direction of KC. You wondered just how much yelling you would have to endure during this, or if there would be worse. But, if Midori could not only stand him, but seem to recommend him, maybe you were looking at this the wrong way.

“Okay, so what are things I need to be aware of?”

She gave a light “hmm” and thought about it for a few seconds. “First off, I don’t know everything he likes or dislikes, so I can’t write a manual. But he definitely hates whining and looking for pity.”

“Understandable.”

“He doesn’t like being interrupted, he doesn’t like doing things that bore him, and he doesn’t like being made an ass out of, so if you can stomach being wrong, just be wrong, even if you’re right.” She took a sip of her own coffee, leaving behind a dark pink lipstick stain.    
  
“What about things he does like?” You questioned, hoping it would be an easier answer.

“I’m sure he likes a lot more than he lets on to. But I know he likes flying, and good food, and dueling of course. Oh, and he hires a massage therapist pretty regularly, so he likes massages, hint hint. Stroke his ego frequently, and this is going to sound ass backwards, but touch him a little bit. A hand on his arm or knee seems to really please him.”

You sighed, and gave Midori a gentle smile. “I can’t believe I’m having to be coached on how to date someone.”

Midori stacked the two coffee cup in one hand and put the other on your shoulder. “I can’t speak from experience - I don’t think anyone can - but I think it might be worth it. He’s passionate and I think that could carry over to you if this all works out.. He needs someone, that’s for sure.”

It wasn’t long before you made it back to Kaiba Corp, and it was much easier to get back to the elevator this time with Midori’s badge. The elevator zipped upward to the top of the tower, and by the time they dinged open, you and Midori had exchanged phone numbers. You followed her back into Seto’s office, where he was quietly on the phone. When he noticed you there, he mouthed that he would be done in a moment, and quickly rescheduled the phone call he was on for thirty minutes later.

When he hung up, Midori handed him his coffee, then headed out of the office, giving your arm a pat on her way past you. You were a little uncomfortable and unsure of yourself, so you continued to stand by the door holding your dress and shoes. 

“Put those down, and come here, if you will.” He said, motioning for you to come behind his desk next to him. You quickly laid the garment bag across one of the chairs in front of him, the shoe box and bag on the floor in front of it, and headed around, brushing the smooth wood of the desk with the tips of your fingers.

“Oh, did you want to see…?” You asked, just before you rounded the corner. You came to stop in front of him, suddenly feeling exposed and small. He was leaned back in the chair, legs crossed, with a hand resting on his face. Watching you, he took a second to respond.

“I’d rather be surprised tomorrow night. Did you enjoy yourself?” He moved his hand, but then pulled it back. You wondered what it was that he wanted to do.

You fidgeted, reaching up to twist a little bit of your hair. “I did. I think Midori and I are going to get along really well, and she’s been very helpful explaining things. I hope I can put it to good use.”

He smiled gently, and you felt yourself melt just a little. You could smell his cologne from here, and it was divine and earthy, and somehow a little feminine. You realized then how starved for touch you were, and wanted nothing more than to throw yourself into his lap and have him put his arm around your waist - but how inappropriate would that be? Lost in thought, you were startled when he reached up and pulled your hand away from your hair.

“It’s unbecoming to fidget so much.” He said, his smile gone. You nodded in response, and stood up a little straighter. He just watched you for a long time, and you didn’t know what to do or say. 

Finally, he broke the silence again. “I meant it, what I said in the shop. You’re a very pretty girl, and I want to see how elegant you can be. I know you have it in you… But we’ll talk more tomorrow night. I’ll meet you in front of your shop at 8:30, so be ready.” He stood up and walked with you to the door once you had picked up the dress and bag, holding it open above your head. He was so close to you as you looked up to him. 

“Thank you for these, Seto. You barely know me, so you’re putting a lot of faith into my ability to please you. I’ll see you tomorrow.” You could barely speak, your voice just more than a whisper above the clicking of Midori’s computer behind you. Seto nodded, and wished you a good day, before shutting the door. You took in deep breaths to steady yourself, then walked out and went to work, as if nothing happened. 


	3. A Hundred Jewels on Throats, A Hundred Jewels Between Teeth

“He bought you this?” Nanami gasped, her hands gently running across the velvet as you displayed the dress proudly for her in the kitchen. “Takara, I think this thing costs about as much as my rent. Did you, like, suck him off for this?”

“That’s the crazy thing, he hasn’t even held my hand or anything.” You whispered, feeling like you needed to be quiet in your own empty shop. “He hasn’t asked me for sex, or a kiss… not even for any naughty pictures. He just demands I be dressed well and act appropriately.”

Nanami helped you push the dress gently back into the garment bag, not wanting to crinkle it or get anything on it.

“So, what’s wrong with him? Every guy I go out with wants sex on day one and they’re all so touchy-feely. Do you think he’s nervous or something?” The two of you closed the kitchen door and walked back to the register, both of you hopping up to sit along the counter. You shrugged.

“I don’t think he can be nervous about anything, I mean, he’s Seto Kaiba. Does he have time to be nervous?” 

“Well, his secretary said that he doesn’t really date, so maybe he just doesn’t know how to navigate the whole issue.” She was grasping at straws just as much as you were - there was really no solid answer you could definitively give, so you decided to drop it.

“What do you think, though? Should I do my hair up or down? And you’re doing my make-up, right?” You trusted Nanami with everything beauty related. She worked hard to look even more beautiful than she was naturally, and it was one of the things that had attracted you to her years ago when you started dating. Things didn’t work out, turns out she much preferred guys and just wasn’t entirely happy with a girlfriend, so you upgraded her to the best friend rank and never looked back.

She clapped her hands together. “ _Honey_ , we’re going to make him fall in love with you tonight, you’re going to look so good. He’s gonna take one look at you and fall on his billionaire ass.” She looked up at the clock, the looked back at you with raised eyebrows. “But we better get to work, I don’t want to run out of time.”

Sitting at the counter with a handheld mirror and an array of products spread around and in bags, you two went to work, taking care of the odd customer as they filtered in this last hour. You put your hair up in a low bun, securing it with bobby pins and the lightest mist of hairspray you could afford. Nanami then did your make-up more expertly than you thought you’d ever be able to, but keeping it bright and nude so that it didn’t overwhelm your face. When you were satisfied, you gave her a big hug and told her how much you loved her, then kicked her out of the store so you could close up shop.

Once you were done cleaning up lightly around the shop and counting the cash, you carefully took out the dress and changed into it. You were a little wobbly in the shoes, but they weren’t as high as they originally looked. Once you were pleased with how you looked, it was just time to wait, since you were done early. You shut the lights out, ready to set the alarm, and waited for the limo to pull up.

After what felt like a lifetime, you saw lights slow to a stop outside of the shop, and you suddenly felt panicked. What if you had chosen everything wrong, and he didn’t like it? What if you weren’t interesting enough, even if you looked alright? You suddenly didn’t feel like eating at all, but it wasn’t like you could back out. So, with a deep breath, you armed the system and shuffled out the door, trying not to run so you wouldn’t fall in your heels, and let the door close behind you. 

He was standing outside of the limo, waiting for you with his hands in his pockets. He was in a beautiful gray suit with a burgundy tie that matched your dress. For a moment, you wondered how he had known, but Midori had probably told him. As your eyes traced him from his shoes to his face, his did the same, and you saw a glimmer in his eyes, melting you on the spot.

“Hi,” Seto said, approaching you and taking his hands out of his pockets. “Come here often?”

You giggled and tried your hardest not to fidget. “Not at all. How do you do?” You gave a wobbly little curtsey, and caught a glimpse of a smile on his face. Instead of responding, he held out his hand, waiting for yours.

His hands were so soft, and you marveled at how much bigger than yours they were as you lightly put your hand in his. He lifted it above your head, instructing you to spin slowly so he could see all of you, from the delicate hem to the very low back, then back to your blushing face.

“This… This is how I’d like to keep you. You’ve impressed me a lot, Takara.” He was so close now, you wondered if he was going to…

Abruptly, he cleared his throat, and led you to the limo, letting you climb in first this time. As you were adjusting your skirt to sit comfortably, he got in behind you, sitting close enough that when you turned towards him your knee pressed against his leg. You weren’t going to move it, so you hoped he didn’t mind. 

“How are you, Seto?” You asked, struggling to find anything more meaningful than that to ask or say to him. Your brain turned into mashed potatoes when you were around him, and you didn’t know how to stop it, or if you wanted to stop it at all.

“Fine,” He said quickly, and you didn’t think he would elaborate, being such a private man. But, to your surprise, he began speaking again. “I started the process today of acquiring one of the companies that manufactures a major part of the gaming systems we produce, and it looks like it’s going to be an easy process. Relatively.”

He wasn’t quite talking over your head yet, but you knew it was coming. “So, explain to me why you want that company. Is it just because it’s more money in your pocket? Or is there something I just don’t know about owning companies?”

He scoffed at the suggestion. “Trust me, money is not my motivator. I simply want the standards of Kaiba Corp to be reflected in as many stages of production as possible. I like clean and efficient manufacturing, and that’s not exactly what they’re giving me just yet.”

For some reason, you were hit with memories of econ and history in college when they discussed these exact type of company buyouts. “So... I'm trying to remember what it's called... upstream vertical integration? Doesn't that typically cause internal losses at first?”

He regarded you with a curious look, his lips pursed. You were wondering what you had said, when he leaned forward and put a hand on your knee. Your body responded by sending shivers up and down your spine, but you didn’t say anything. 

“With a little bit of time, I could make you an expert in everything to do with running a company, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you were good enough to make a name for yourself all around the country.” This was followed by a moment of silence, your heartbeat audible in your ears, where he gripped your knee, then slipped his hand just an inch or two higher - then he pulled it away, and you realized you had been holding your breath the entire time.

Seto turned his head so he was looking at the floor. “Yes, there are some internal losses to begin with. Worker motivation drops when sales are guaranteed, so to combat it, I offer monthly bonuses for quality work. And I have a mind to improve the working conditions there so that it matches what I offer the rest of my employees. Do I work people hard? Yes. But it’s what I offer in return that makes them stay.”

You nodded - that made sense, you supposed. And he was right, you didn’t hear of much turnover at Kaiba Corp. You had met a lot of people who worked there, and they had all worked there since close to the beginning of his time as CEO. He obviously was doing something right, as KC was bigger than ever.

“I’m kind of surprised,” You said, holding your hands in your lap and looking down. “You seem to care about a lot of good things. Where does this image of you being a cruel, slave driving egotist come from?”

Seto clenched his jaw, thinking about how to respond to you. You got the impression, somehow, that maybe Nanami was right. Maybe he was as nervous as you were, though it escaped you as to why he would be. Finally, he came up with something. “I have a short temper. You haven’t seen it yet, but you will, so I apologize in advance. I’ve gotten better, though. There are things that happened - I don’t want to get into it now - and I made some friends that believed I could be better, and I am.”

The look on his face was one you couldn’t quite place, something nostalgic and homesick, maybe. Regardless, you felt sympathy for him, obviously trying to do what he thought was best, and you reached out to gently grip his forearm, and give him a warm smile.

“I don’t mean to talk about things that get you down, I’m just seeing this side of you I’ve never heard about and it makes me happy that I get to see it.” He placed his hand over yours as you spoke, his thumb stroking along your fingers, causing your body to tingle. It was hard to read him, and you wondered, as you glanced up to his blue eyes, if it was only you feeling this way. You wished you didn’t.

Just as soon as he had his hand on yours, he pulled it away. You took your hand away from him, and sat back. The limo began to stop, and you looked out the window. The restaurant was plainer than expected on the outside, with big windows covered by deep blue curtains and large, gold double doors with “The Bell Tower” painted in a delicate script.

“Are you ready?” Seto asked as the driver came to open the door. You nodded excitedly and quickly followed him out the door, wobbling a little as you took your first steps outside. To steady you, he took your arm in his. “You need a little more practice in those. But you do make them look good.” He whispered into your ear, his breath hot. You felt your knees weaken.

“ _Why does he make me feel like this?_ ” You wondered to yourself as he led you inside and began talking to the host. “ _I know I haven’t been with anyone in a long time, but am I really just that in need of affection_?” You continued to question your emotions and your desires as you were led to the back, into a separate, dimly lit room. There was room for several tables here, but all but one had been moved out, leaving a lot of space. There was faint music filtering in, but otherwise, it was like no one else existed outside of that room.

You had to snap out of your thoughts as Seto pulled you chair out for you, and then scooted it underneath you as you sat. For a brief moment, he brought his hands to rest on your bare shoulders, and you shivered when they left and he came to sit down across from you.

You adjusted in your seat as a handsome, younger waited came in with two glasses and a pitcher of iced water. He poured you both glasses, and asked if you wanted a menu or something called “degustation.” Seto responded that that was what the two of you wanted, and once the waiter was out of earshot, you asked him what it meant.

“It’s small courses of the chef’s signature dishes. Here, it’s fifteen courses, and each except for the last has its own wine pairing.”

“It’s what? Fifteen?” He laughed at your shocked expression, and after a minute you laughed as well. This was ridiculous. 

Once you had calmed your shock, you folded your hands on the table. “There’s still a lot to learn about you… What do you normally do in your spare time?” You had a couple good ideas, but you’d like to hear it from his mouth.

He cleared his throat and took a drink of water before responding. “I enjoy dueling, of course, and various other games. Tinkering around with things and learning - or, really, inventing - new technology. In the summer, I like to go out on the water.”

“Oh, you have a boat?” You shouldn’t have been surprised, but he didn’t much seem like the sailing type.

“A yacht.” He corrected, moving around his silverware. You watched his hands and had half a mind to tell him ‘no fidgeting,’ but didn’t know if you were ready to risk those jokes yet. “I take it out for business a lot, but sometimes it’s nice to just go out for a few days and be out in the fresh air.”

You smiled sweetly and leaned on your elbows. “You should take me out there sometime, I bet it’s lovely.”

He raised an eyebrow at you and you watched his lips curl into a half-smile. “Miss Takara, are you just here for my money, or are you here for me, huh?”

“Clearly your money. It’s not like you’re handsome or charming or interesting. All about the money.” You said, as sarcastically as you could muster. Truth was, it was nice to be taken out and gifted things, but honestly it was the way he made you feel that got you to accept those things, not the other way around. 

“What about you?” Seto asked dryly.

“Oh,” You weren’t really prepared to answer the question, so you had to think quickly. “I watch my younger siblings most of the time, so it’s mostly whatever they want to do... but I like baking, and gardening. I’ll have to show you my flowers sometime soon, they’re coming in beautifully this year.”

“I should have known you’d be into growing things, you look like the nurturing type.” You couldn’t help but smile and thank him. “What are you growing this year?”

You brought up a mental picture of your small, cramped back yard. “I grow sunflowers every year, mainly because I like how small they make me feel. I’m also growing daisies, zinnia, and peonies, which are my favorites. There’s not a lot of room, but I started growing watermelon by the side of the house, and we just ate our first one last week. There’s a trellis, too, which I started growing wisteria on, but they’ve overtaken it and started breaking it, and it looks like a pretty purple mess.”

Chatter went on like this for the next near hour - or at least you thought, it was hard to keep track of time when you were so enraptured by your date. The first two courses came out during this time. They were small, colorful hors d’oeuvres that you had to figure out how to eat by watching Seto. To no one’s surprise, they were orgasmic. You had had some wonderful food in your life, but there was nothing like this to your memory. The wines were fantastic as well, just a little bit to sip on each course so you didn’t begin feeling drunk at all. 

You learned a lot about him while you ate. For one, he was a little messy, but cleaned up his face with his napkin each time he got something on it. You learned he had his pilot’s license, and had had it for a long time, and that he speaks a moderate amount of French. As he demonstrated in his low, gravelly voice, you smiled and sighed, and he asked what was wrong with you.

The following six courses - more hors d’oeuvres, then a beautiful, creamy soup - were spent with you talking about your family. There was your mother, Motoko, who was the strongest person you knew; Minoru, your oldest little brother who had also just begun college; Shouta, four years younger than Minoru and getting into Duel Monsters harder than the rest of the family; and Atsuko, your baby sister who had just turned nine two weeks ago and helped you with your garden. You talked about your father, Nobu, and his long battle with cancer.

You didn’t get into too much detail about everything that had happened, but you went through the little timeline you had grown so accustomed to remembering late at night when you missed him. You were in your final year of college, just beginning the semester, when your mother called you in tears. You immediately moved back home. The cancer resisted everything that was thrown at it, sometimes shrinking and giving you hope, then spreading and taking it all back. Watching him pass away in early January was the worst thing that had ever happened to your family, but you spent the last few weeks surrounding him in love. You just wished that he could remember you on those final days.

You put on your strong face, willing yourself not to cry, but Seto noticed how much of a struggle it was to remember everything that happened. He reached across the table, placing his hand on the side of your face. You leaned into the touch with your eyes closed, your brain beginning to quiet down.

“You’re a very strong woman, Takara,” He whispered as he pulled his hand back. “I’m sorry things have been so rough for you and that you lost someone so important to you. I can’t change things for you, as much as I think I’m God, but I know your father's shop means a lot to you, and I'm still willing to help you. I have a group that works for me, that keeps the Kaiba Corp various websites running and up to date. If you’ll allow it, I can send them out Monday with a photographer to photograph your products and get information from you to start building everything.”

You were still blinking back tears, but you couldn’t help but smile down at your empty wine glass. “Thank you, Seto. I’d love some help, and whatever I can do to repay you… Just let me know.”

“I’m sure you’ll repay me in time, but don’t worry about it tonight.” He said, back to his normal speaking voice. You wondered what that meant, maybe letting your mind wander a bit too far, but you were interrupted by the waiter bringing out another course - a dish with carved seasonal vegetables. 

That course, and the next, were eaten in relative silence besides discussing how good the food was. The following course, you were feeling better, so you asked him about his little brother.

“Mokuba is…” He stopped, thinking for a second as his fork clinked against the china plate. “Headstrong. Sometimes naive. Loyal. More of a badass than I’ll ever be. I didn’t think I could survive without him, and this is the first time he’s been away from home for long. I want what’s best for him, though, and if that’s going out on his own for a little while, I’ll just have to survive it.”

You nodded, remembering that Mokuba being gone is really the only reason you were sitting in this chair right now. Had he decided to attend Domino University, Seto would have never come into your shop, would have never asked you to keep him company, and you would have never found yourself so goddamn emotional you felt like you were going crazy.

“Speaking of Mokuba,” Seto said, letting the waiter take his plate and replace it with a lamb dish. “His birthday is in four days, and I have a lot of things to do before then. He’ll be on a little birthday break, of course, but I want to travel up to where his condo is-” of course he has a condo- “and give him a party. He hasn’t had a proper party in years.”

You cocked your head to the side. “In other words, I won’t see you for a while.” You pouted, but you didn’t mean to, and you straightened your face back up when you realized you were doing it.

“Unfortunately, not for a few days at least. But, once I get back, we’ll do something. I’ll take off the following morning, barring some catastrophe at work, and… well, I haven’t exactly figured out what I want to do yet, but it’ll be something.”

A grin crept on your face, and you couldn’t help but wiggle a little bit. “Okay, that’ll work. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Things were kept light for the rest of the night. You were starting to get a little tipsy off the wine towards the end, but the last course was coffee and handmade ice cream, which helped you sober a bit. You were, without a doubt, a lightweight. After all the plates and glasses were removed from the table and the bill was quietly paid, you put your phone number into his cell, and he stood, offering you a hand.

“For a while, I forgot how that dress just…” He trailed off as he spun you around again, taking in every inch of you with his eyes, making you giggle like a little girl. Had anyone ever made you feel so high, and intimidated, and so very heavy?

You exited the restaurant hanging happily onto his arm, and as you waited on the limo to pull back around, he pulled you in close. He was so tall, even in your heels, and you wanted to float up to his level and… God, he was so close, and warm, and his cologne smelled so good... 

Seto sighed, and loosened his grip on you. You realized your eyes were closed, and opened them with a confused look on your face.

He shook his head and took a step back. “I need more time with you. I need to get myself together, before…”

You tried to put yourself in his shoes. What if you weren't ready? You'd want his patience, too. So, quite deflated, you nodded. “It's fine. You said you'd never make me do something I didn't want to do, and that goes for you, too. Take all the time you need.”

He smiled at you, the limo pulling up behind him, and took your hand again. “That means a lot to me, Takara.”

You tried to cheer yourself up on the ride back to the shop to get your car. You felt guilty for how you were feeling, but you didn't know how to change it. What were you supposed to do? And now it was going to be several days or more before you saw him again.

You got home rather uneventfully, and quietly peeled off your clothes to shower while the rest of the house settled in to sleep. It was there you found the source of your emotions, and a near catastrophic dress mishap, in the stains on your brand new underwear.

Good thing he needed more time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really appreciate comments. I'm still plotting, so if you have anything you'd like to see, throw it my way and I'll see if it can be worked in <3


	4. And You’re The Only Thing That’s Going On In My Mind

The next few days, you were a monster. Or at least, you felt like one. You had yelled at your mother, then cried about it (she forgave you). Then you had yelled at the photographer Seto sent, then cried about it (he forgave you). Then you yelled at Nanami, then cried when she told you you were being a bitch (you forgave her). But the worst was finally over by Tuesday evening, and you were feeling much more upbeat and stable.

You had a pretty good day, going over some papers that one of the web designers had brought over to review and correct, and taking care of an unusual number of customers. It was dawning on you just how much work it was going to be once you began getting online orders and needed to ship them out, and run the store at the same time.

The only thing that was really gnawing at your brain was that you hadn’t heard from Seto since he dropped you off the other night. You hadn’t really prepared yourself for the reality that he wasn’t good at communicating, and it was beginning to frustrate you that he expected you to work on his schedule, without discussing your own. You had no idea when he would reach out to you, or what he would want you to do, and you began to fume thinking about it as you drove home after work.

You parked on the street tonight, not wanting to block in your mother or Minoru, and quickly went inside. Your entire family was gathered in the kitchen, huddled over the table.

“Hey, what’s going on?” You questioned as you hung up your purse by the door.

“You got a box!” Atsuko cried, much louder than necessary.

“Some guy in a black suit dropped it off for you,” Minoru said, shaking the box before your mother took it from him. “Is your new boyfriend part of the yakuza or something?”

“He’s not my boyfriend, and no. Keep your nose in your own business.” Your mom brought the box to you, and you felt all of their eyes on you. You had no clue what was in this box, but they all wanted to know. You couldn’t deny that you did, too. “I’m not responsible for anything that might be in here, just for the record.”

You lifted the lid to the box and set it on the table. Whatever was in it was wrapped in blue tissue paper, with a note laying on top. Briefly, you fought Shouta for the rights to read the note, but you threatened his favorite card and he let go. To their disappointment, you did not read it outloud.

_Takara,_

_I’ll be home soon. I saw this in the city and thought of you. I was hoping you might enjoy going for breakfast on the ocean Tuesday morning. I would very much appreciate it if you would text me to let me know whether you will be able to make it or not. If you can, you’ll find Roland waiting for you at the entrance to the Domino City docks._

_Hope to see you soon,_

_Seto Kaiba_

His number was listed down at the bottom of the note, his handwriting impeccable and almost infuriatingly pretty. You handed the note to your mom. “What do you think? Should I go?”

Quietly, she read over it, and raised an eyebrow at you. “Why would you say no? I know you’re a little upset over… some things…” You were thankful she was respecting your privacy in front of your siblings. “... But you have to give him a little time to be comfortable. You’re not a very patient girl, you know that?”

You pouted and took the note back. “Yeah, I know. I just don’t know how to deal with something this different from a normal relationship.”

“This is so pretty!” Atsuko was apparently even less patient than you, and had pulled the tissue paper out of the box to reveal exactly what had made Seto think of you. At first, it was hard to figure out what exactly you were looking at. Finally, you simply picked everything up and held it in your hands to get a good look at it. It was a black-and-mesh bikini, and was so full of those mesh inserts you wondered just what it was supposed to cover, and what Seto was thinking.

“He’s probably thinking he wants to see your bits,” your very unhelpful brain said.

The other thing in the box, and what Atsuko was actually talking about, was a long, white lace coverup that tied at the waist. You had to admit that it was, in fact, very pretty.

“Well, I guess I’ll go,” You said, trying to sound like you weren’t totally convinced. You were absolutely going to put these on and prance around for a while, as long as nothing naughty was showing.

Once everyone was in bed, you certainly tried it on and modeled for yourself in the mirror, letting the coverup flow around you as you spun around in the bathroom, and matched a pair of black wedges you had been holding onto with the bikini. Almost forgetting, you shot a text to the number on the note, and didn’t even care when you didn’t get a response. You didn’t want to admit how excited you were to yourself, especially given Midori’s remark about “tight and black,” but Nanami could read you like a book the next morning.

You brought breakfast sandwiches to share in the lobby of the hotel she worked at, knowing that she wouldn’t have a lot to do in the early morning while everyone was still waking up. It was a little weird everytime you came to her work, to see her without her wig and make-up, but you’d always recognize her pretty eyes and the way she swayed her hips to come hug you.

“Did you take a picture of it?” She asked, a mouth full of egg and bread.

“Duh.” You pulled out your phone from your jeans pocket and opened your gallery to find the dozen or so pictures you had taken the previous night of your new swim outfit. You slid the phone across the counter to her and let her flip.

Nanami swallowed and shook her head. “God damn, why couldn’t he have been looking for a hotel room instead of candy? I want someone to buy me sexy bikinis.”

“Trust me, you’d just get pissed off he doesn’t kiss.”

She gasped and put her hand on yours. “Sweetie, he didn’t kiss you the other night? Why are you not telling me anything?”

You shrugged. “I’m trying to be cool with it. Like, if he needs time, it’s only right for me to give him time. Right?”

“I mean, technically, but couldn’t you just… flash him or something? You gotta get his motor running, babe.”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “You’ll be the first one to know when it happens, I promise. And if I’m not careful wearing this, there will definitely be some flashing happening, but not of my own free will.”

A slew of guests came to check out of the hotel, so for a while you were left alone, finishing your breakfast and helping yourself to the coffee in the lobby. Your phone buzzed in your hand and you answered it without reading the number.

“Hello?”

“Good morning, Miss Ito. Thank you for your confirmation last night.” The low, sleepy voice on the other end of the line forced you to find a chair to sit in before your knees gave out.

“Good morning, Seto. Isn’t today Mokuba’s birthday?”

“Yes, but I thought I’d give you a call while he was still asleep. What do you think of what I sent?”

“It’s really nice… I think you’ll like what you see.” You purred, closing your eyes to wonder about what he wore to bed. It was a nice visualization to match his voice.

“That’s the plan.” You could hear him take a deep breath on the other end and wanted nothing more than to crawl through the phone. “I’d ask for you to send me a picture, but that might be rude.”

“Oh, so rude. I don’t think I could bare to send you something so revealing.”

“Pity.” He gave an obviously fake sigh. “I’m feeling a lot more like myself after seeing my brother, so forgive me if I’m being a little… forward. I’ve just been thinking, and I-”

There was a loud rustling on the line, and what sounded like a laugh from him, kind of shocking you for a second. Once the noises settled down, he whispered heavily into the phone. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Takara. I’ve got to go.”

You said goodbye, dying to know what he had been ‘thinking’ about and cursing under your breath. You turned around in your seat and was startled by how close Nanami was to you, apparently listening in on your phone call without your knowledge.

“Damn, you nosey slut!” You hissed, clutching your shirt over your heart.

“You’re definitely sending him a picture, right?” She nudged you with her elbow.

“Fuck, I don’t know. Should I?”

“Yes!” She was nearly shouting, her fists clenched and an intense look on her face. “Whichever one is the most risque. Send it!”

Overwhelmed, you handed her your phone. “Do it for me? I think I’ll be good after but I’m too scared to do it myself.”

Without hesitation, she took it from you and started tapping away. It felt like ten minutes had gone by before she hit send and tossed the phone back. “Done. Easy. You’ve gotta learn to do this yourself, though. Eventually he’s going to want nudes and I don’t want to be the one taking vulva pictures.”

“Oh, come on, I have a little class.” You looked at the picture she sent and flinched. It was a little more revealing than you would have picked, but it had already been sent.

You didn’t get an immediate response, but that didn’t keep you from having your eyes glued to the screen for the rest of the time you visited with Nanami. When her manager was almost due to be in, you quietly left so that she wouldn’t get in trouble for fooling around on the clock, and let her get back to work. It was when you sat down in your car that your phone finally buzzed, and you nervously looked at the message.

_“I’d like to see that pose in person. For research purposes.”_

You squirmed in your seat as you typed back.

_“Maybe you’ll get a grant for further scientific endeavours.”_

_“I know what I’d like to explore next.”_

_“I like it when you feel more like yourself. ;)”_

_“Good. See you at 7AM.”_

The rest of the day was torture. No new messages. No phone calls. Nothing to take your mind off the images swirling around in your head. You found yourself getting increasingly frustrated through work, and by the time you were closing the store all you wanted to do was to fall asleep in the floor so tomorrow would come faster. But, like a responsible adult, you finished up your tasks and went home, having dinner and trying to keep cool when your mother questioned you. Finally, you tucked yourself into bed, but couldn’t will yourself to sleep. It took hours of tossing and turning, your mind absolutely filled to the brim with very lewd ideas.

Then, suddenly, your alarm went off. You didn’t remember finally falling asleep or dreaming. You were tired, but too excited to play the “five more minutes” game with the clock, despite how early you set your alarm. After a lengthy shower to make sure you were smooth and smelled nice, you put on the bikini and cover and headed to your car.

You felt exposed the entire drive. Anyone looking into your car would have seen you in what was essentially a pretty bra and pair of panties, and you prayed not to get pulled over. Luck seemed to be on your side, however, as there were no real mishaps by the time you pulled to the docks. You were a little early, but as promised, Roland was standing at the dock gates, having traded in his suit for casual shorts and shirt. Now you felt really exposed.

“Hi, Roland,” You called as you closed your car door and tucked your keys into your purse. He gave you a wave over, but didn’t look up from his phone.

“Sorry, just letting Mr. Kaiba know you’re here. He’s got something for you - I’m not supposed to say anything though, so act surprised.”

You couldn’t keep from rolling your eyes. “I feel like this is a very lopsided relationship. I can’t really give him anything he doesn’t already have.”

Roland gave you a little nudge. “You’re giving him a lot by keeping him company. Besides, he likes giving gifts, it’s just that he doesn’t have many people he wants to be around enough to give gifts to. Let him spoil you for a while, I’m sure things will calm down eventually.”

“I may just be the gift giver today,” you thought to yourself, trying not to grin.

All the way at the end of the docks was the yacht, unmistakably Seto’s. It was painted white and blue with silver details, and it was much, much bigger than you expected. You had anticipated a yacht, like ones you saw sitting idly off the coast when you went to the beach, but this thing was enormous. It was easily bigger than your house, and you could count three levels at least. It was certainly true that Seto did not half-ass anything.

Speaking of, you could see Seto on the main deck from the dock. Your knees locked in place as you took him in - bare chested, just a robe and swim trunks on. His hair was messy, as if he had just crawled out of bed, and you wondered if he had slept on the yacht. He was seated at the railing near the gangway, a reading a folded newspaper. You didn’t even realize you hadn’t moved until Roland gripped you by the shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

You swallowed hard. “I’m fine, I’m just… Nervous.” Your voice was breathy, and you had a bad feeling you were not going to be a very proper girl today.

You shakily made your way up to the deck, and Seto finally noticed the beat of your wedges against the wood, and looked your way. The urge to cover yourself grew, but you just smiled back at his growing smirk and put a hand on your hip as you came to stand in front of him.

“Good morning, Mr. Kaiba,” you said, feeling his eyes trace your body. You shivered slightly under his gaze, but you couldn’t deny the kind of drunken power you were beginning to feel.

“I prefer the real life version over the photo,” He whispered as he stood up and took both of your hands in his. “You are a sight for sore eyes, Takara.”

“Mmm, don’t get used to it, pervert.” You winked at him, and his smirk grew a little more.

“C’mon, I’ll give you the tour.” He dropped one of your hands and pulled you across the desk. There was, of course, the seating area you had been in, and a large hot tub that you just wanted to jump in right away. Through open french doors, there was a large, more formal living area and dining area. The kitchen was massive, but you didn’t stay long there as Seto’s chef was cooking and you didn’t want to interrupt her. The bridge was also on this level, as was the captain, who introduced himself as a long-time employee of Mr. Kaiba.

On the lower deck was the three crew bedrooms and the inner workings of the ship. The crew rooms were well decorated and comfortable, but nothing like the upstairs bedrooms. There were three of those on the upper deck, two of which were mirror images, each with their own en suite bathroom and gorgeous views. The master, however, was out of this world. That bathroom alone was as large as your bedroom at home, and the room itself contained a small library, a sitting area with fireplace, and of course the bed and related furniture. You caught yourself looking at everything in the room, and after a few minutes felt an arm snake around your waist and Seto pull you in, your back against him.

“We can come back here later, you know. But for now, why don’t we go check on breakfast?”

You shivered at the thought of returning and nodded silently, afraid of what might come out of your mouth if you chose to speak. He turned and led you back through the halls and down the stairs, keeping you close to him. You made idle conversation about his visit with Mokuba and how much Seto distrusted his friends as you made your way to the dining room, where the table had been set while you were touring. There was a huge bouquet of flowers in the center of the table that you had noticed before, but only now got to examine. He took notice of your interest.

“Those are for you, by the way.” He didn’t look at you while he spoke, just said it very matter-of-factly and went to sit down at the table.

“They’re gorgeous. You don’t have to get me flowers, though. But they will look very nice in my kitchen.”

He turned his eyes just slightly towards you, looking a little devilish. “Well, they’re for you - but only if you can tell me all the types of flowers that are in it.”

You were a little startled, but the fun feeling of being challenged kind of crept up on you. “Seriously?” He nodded and you sat down, pulling the vase to you. “Well, tulips, of course, in two colors. And peach roses. A few mini sunflowers, which are very pretty. I think this is larkspur… and various greenery that aren’t flowers so they don’t count.”

You looked around the bouquet to search his face to see if you were right. After a moment of staring at you, fingers knitted together and elbows on the table, he shrugged.

“Probably, I don’t know flowers.” He grinned when your mouth dropped and you became aware that he had pulled your leg. “I just wanted to see what you would do. They’re all yours.”

You gave him a bigger pout than before and pushed the vase back to the center of the table, but decided to change up the conversation. “Do you have a lot of business to catch up with since you left for a few days?"

He nodded and laid his hands flat on the table. “I did some of my work while I was with Mokuba, but there will be some things to catch up on. Roland is here to help manage any phone calls of important issues that come up today, but he’s not a breakfast person so he’ll stay mostly out of the way. I’ll head to Kaiba Corp this afternoon to start. Things are ramping up for the opening of Kaiba Land in France, so it’s going to get busier going forward.”

“I’ve never even been to Kaiba Land, but I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun. I should go, as soon as I can get some full days off.”

“With what I have planned for your shop, you should be getting enough business soon to hire a few employees at least part time, so you’ll have some vacation days in the future.”

The chef that you had seen earlier, a tall, older woman with a long gray braid, came out then, carrying two cups and a pot of tea. “Everything is ready, I hope you two are hungry.” She had a sweet, motherly feel to her voice, and you gave her a little smile as she gave you a pat on the back before heading back to the kitchen.

Soon, there were plates upon plates of food being brought to the table. Omelette rolls, rice, huge fluffy pancakes, fresh cut fruit, bread and jam, and various little dishes of vegetables, some pickled. It was more than the two of you could eat, but not by an absurd amount. Both of you filled your plates to your liking and dug in.

It was really nice to have breakfast like this. It wasn’t as stuffy and intimidating as going to that overly fancy restaurant, and it was so comfortable to sit out on the water, with the doors open and feeling the breeze. You looked over to a window and realized that you were no longer at the dock, but you hadn’t even realized you were moving. It must have been a very calm day out.

“So when you say it’s going to be busy,” you said, spearing a star-shaped piece of melon. “Does that mean I won’t see you much?”

Seto finished chewing and swallowed before he responded. “I don’t know yet. There’s a lot going on, and I might be working all day long every day. There is a business function you can attend if you want, this Friday, with a lot of board members of businesses I deal with. But it’s going to be stuffy old men, not anything fun.”

“Well, it might not be fun, but I think you asked me to be your companion, not your fun girl. If you want me to come, I’ll come.”

You could see a little smile, but he kept his head too low for you to see how pleased that made him. “Alright, but it starts at 6. Do you think you can convince your brother to watch the store for a while?”

“He’ll probably agree. He doesn’t really make plans much, so I don’t think I’ll be bothering him by asking.”

He used his fork to fluff his rice a bit. “Good, then I’ll send you and Midori somewhere to get something fitting for the occasion. I’m sure she’ll be happy to get out of the office a little bit, and she seems to like you.”

“I think I like her as well,” You said, grinning when Seto gave you a look that said ‘please-don’t-fuck-my-employees.’

When you had both eaten your fill and drank through the rest of the pot of tea, Seto stood up and stretched. It floored you how someone who spent so much time behind a desk could have such a long, toned body, but it wasn’t like you were going to complain. He gestured for you to follow him, so you did.

Out on the desk, you could hear the sounds of the ocean much better as the water lapped against the yacht. The sun wasn’t too hot just yet, just a nice warmth on your skin to offset the breeze. You were distracted, watching the city off in the distance, when you felt two hands wrap around you and begin to untie the closure at the waist and remove the lace coverup from your shoulders.

“C’mon, I’ve got the hot tub ready,” He said, low and slow, as he draped the coverup on a nearby chair. He took your hand, and you followed like a good little puppy, your heart beating a little faster than it should have been. He led you into the water, warmer and deeper than you expected, and pulled you into him.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to just sail away for a while? No phone calls or work, just open sea, you and me?” He said after a comfortable silence, loosening his grip on you. He moved back to sit down on one of the built in seats, arms propped up on the edge behind him.

“I don’t think either you or I are in any position to run away, Seto.” You replied, coming to stand close to him, your knees against his.

He shrugged. “I didn’t say we would, just that it would be nice.”

A rush of boldness overcame you, and you carefully placed one knee to the side of his leg, then pulled yourself up into his lap until you were straddling him. “Yeah, that would be nice. But we don’t have to be gone long to have a nice time.”

He looked a little surprised by your actions at first, but then he brought his hands to your hips and, apparently feeling a little bold himself, gripped your hips in such a dominating way and pulled you in closer.

“How, exactly, would you define ‘nice’?” He said, barely audible as he reached up and brushed your hair over to the side, exposing your neck.

You nearly moaned as he dragged a finger down the muscle in your neck, then along your collarbone. “There are so many possible definitions.”

“Then tell me the one your thinking about right now.” He growled, but before you could respond with what was really on your mind, his lips were on yours, gentle at first, then more needy. You responded just as eagerly, your fingers finding themselves tangled in his hair.

When his lips left yours, your disappointment was quickly replaced as they found their way to the path he traced with his fingers, down to your collarbone, then back up. You sighed softly, unable to help your arousal, especially as his hands found your hips again, fingers digging into your skin gently.

He seemed like he didn’t want to take his lips off of you, but when he did, his face was flushed. “Takara, do you want-”

“Mr. Kaiba,” Roland appeared from the sitting area, walking briskly across the deck with the phone in his hand. At the sight of him, you tried to separate, but Seto had a grip on you and you could do little more than wiggle around.

The change in Seto’s expression was immediate. “I asked not to be interrupted for anything less than catastrophic.”

“Well, this might fit that criteria.” At that, Seto lifted you off of his lap and onto the ledge next to him, then stood up and pulled himself out of the water. He took the phone, addressed the caller, and walked out of earshot.

You couldn’t mask your disappointment at being interrupted as you kicked your legs in the water, wondering what he was about to ask before. You had a good idea, but there was no way to know, now.

Suddenly, from across the desk, you heard shouting. You couldn’t tell exactly what was being said, but you could make out a number of expletives and when you looked over, Seto looked ready to throw the phone across the water. Instead, he seemed to cool down quickly, and sat down, pressing two fingers into the bridge of his nose. Roland came to him and they spoke for a while, before he took the phone back and went back inside. At that, you decided to go to him and pulled yourself up.

You walked slowly toward him, not wanting to alarm him. When you came do him, you did what felt right and slid up on the table in front of him, taking his hand in yours. He was obviously frustrated, and angry, but he didn’t say a word for a long time, and neither did you.

When he did speak, he didn’t look up at you. “We’re headed back now. Sorry to cut things short, but a very important deal fell through and I have to get back to work to figure things out before it impacts things even more.”

You nodded, but knew he couldn’t see you. “That’s fine. Another time, then.” You gave his hand a squeeze, and he returned it, then sighed. He moved his hand from yours, and put his head in your lap, the tension beginning to ease from his shoulders. You wondered just how much stress was this company putting him under?

You watched across the water in silence as the docks came back into view, just stroking his hair as he thought things through. The waves got a little more intense as the yacht docked, rocking you both. You gave him a couple more minutes like this, before sighing and tapping his shoulder.

“It’s best I leave, Seto. You’ve got things you have to do, and I don’t need to be distracting you.” He raised his head at that, nodding, but couldn’t bring himself to say anything as you left. You promised to send him a text later and check on him, which got a weak smile, but that was it.

Your heart felt heavy on the way home, worried for him and his stress levels, and worried that you wouldn’t get the chance to see him again any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasssssssssup?  
> sorry this took a while. i have no excuses i am just a dumb. also working on other stories I have planned sooooo keep an eye out.


	5. Hot Summer Nights, Mid July

Texting became more regular between you and Seto, since there was less time for you to actually see him. However, “more regular” could more accurately be described as a few messages once or twice a day. It was enough to keep you from blowing your lid, but not enough to satisfy the school-girl-esque need to be clingy. And with just how close you had gotten to satisfying _those_ desires previously, it was even more torturous. 

However, you did keep your promise to meet Seto for the business function. You met Midori on Thursday evening, after she got off from what she described as a ‘hair-pulling’ day at work, and she helped you pick out something reasonable to wear, as you were still learning the ropes of what Seto Kaiba deemed acceptable. 

You even managed to persuade her to go for drinks afterwards, which was definitely an attempt to find out if she was even a little gay. Newsflash, she’s pretty gay.

You showed up to KC a little early, hoping you could get a few moments with Seto, but it ended up being a bust, as you weren’t the only early bird. He introduced you to a few people as a “local business owner” that he was “investing” in, but truth be told, it was incredibly boring to be there. It was mostly just Seto schmoozing with other rich bastards, trying to start deals, and kissing more ass than you were really anticipating. Apparently, the way to the top was filled with some mild brown nosing. 

The only interesting thing that night happened close to the end of the event. Seto had left you to your own devices, trusting you not to make a mess of things. You had mainly been filling your time talking to the wives and mistresses that had also been left to wander, but they ended up finding their way back to their dates. It was after you said goodbye to a gorgeous escort that a man that you hadn’t met yet, roughly as tall as Seto but certainly older and wider, came to you.

Anticipating some casual conversation, you introduced yourself as pleasantly as you could muster. Then, he asked you how much you charged when you were “through” for the evening.

Giving him a half-truth, you told him you were there on business, not as a paid date. He scoffed at the idea, and made some inflammatory remark about “young women” before attempting to grab your wrist. It was then that you realized he was drunk - which was certainly a feat, considering they were not serving any strong beverages. You pulled back from him and requested he stop, but when he tried to touch you again, you instinctively reached across your body and slapped him across the face.

The noise echoed much louder than you were prepared for, and you knew you had ruined the night. There were dozens of eyes on you and the now fully pissed off man, but you decided to stand your ground and not apologize. He looked like he was about to scream, but before any noise came out, Seto came through the gathering of people and stopped him.

He was, understandably, upset, but it was nothing compared to when you told him why you had slapped him. By the time you finished recounting the event, his jaw was tight, and he hadn’t removed his eyes from the man for a long time. 

“Miss Ito is an honored guest here tonight. For you to not only solicit her, but to attempt to assault her is inexcusable.” He said, obviously trying to withhold his anger. You could see the way his hands twitched. “I expect you, and anyone in your company, to vacate the building. And anticipate any planned cooperation between my company and yours to be stopped immediately.”

The man ended up silently bowing and leaving, his face still flushed. The night practically ended there, the tension having spilled over into everyone else. With permission, you left to go hide out in Seto’s office to wait for everyone else to leave.

Any hope of having some after-party intimacy was destroyed, though, and when he did come meet you in his office, only the barest of touches were exchanged between the two of you.

But, that was almost a week ago. You hoped things could get back on track, especially since he hadn’t brought it up again in any of the text messages he’d sent. 

It was almost time to close up shop, and you were slowly sweeping and cleaning, when your phone dinged in your pocket.

_ I’m only now leaving KC. Would you like to come have dinner at my place? _

Your heart jumped up between your ears and you furiously nodded, before realizing he couldn’t see you nod.

_ I’d love to. I should close up in twenty, should I wait a little while or head right over? _

_ Come directly, please. _

_ Yessir :) _

You got the address from him, and the rest of your job came easy. You felt a little like dancing from the excitement of not only seeing Seto, but getting to visit his house for the first time. You had heard that it was a huge, stately place, more a manor than a ‘house,’ but you were trying not to over excite yourself.

You came to a gate at the given address, and rolled your window down, hanging half of your body out the window to reach the button for the intercom. A very loud voice demanded to know your name, and when you gave it to them there was a slight pause before a buzzer rang and the gates began to slowly swing open. You pulled yourself back into the car and drove through. As you passed by all the trees lining the drive, you began to see the very large, unusual manor ahead. It was gorgeous, with that old, faux medieval architecture and the beautiful garden out front. It wasn’t over done or too simple, but it was simply breathtaking. 

You parked your car in front, unsure if that was right but with no other direction, and immediately got out. You tried to straighten out your skirt and top, but gave up on trying to press out the wrinkles by hand, and headed up the pathway to the door. Before you could knock, Seto opened it, and

_ Fuck. _

He had ditched the jacket and tie already, his top buttons undone and he sleeves rolled up. He looked better than his house did, and that was saying something. He did, however, look a little breathless, but grinned at you regardless, definitely noticing the way you were ogling him. He beckoned you to come a little closer, and it took you a second before your legs started to work again.

“You look nice,” you said weakly, barely feeling as his hands snaked around your waist. 

“Hush for a minute.” He whispered, and you were forced to comply as he kissed you deeply. You were glad his arms were around you as your knees immediately buckled for a second before you could brace yourself. Your hands came to rest on his shoulders as you pressed into him, enjoying the moment.

After a couple of long, needy kisses, he pulled back, tracing your lips and jaw and neck with his eyes. You wanted to suggest skipping dinner, but no sound would come out of your mouth.

He was the first to speak. “I’ll give you the grand tour after dinner, but right now I am starving.” He gave you one final little kiss and pulled you inside, shutting the door behind you, and immediately started leading you to the dining room. You were barely able to take in everything - the impossible decor, the smell of cleanliness, the massive painting of a younger Seto and Mokuba above the fireplace in the living room - before you were seated at a large, dark table, set with beautiful dishes and somewhat cheesy lit candles. 

Your brain was kind of shut off, though. Through dinner, you could follow the conversation - work, family, food, children’s card games - but you had other things on your mind. You did discuss the new website he was having built for you, though, which kind of snapped you out of your stupor for a few moments.

Dinner was followed by a rich, moist cake and ice cream that was almost good enough to make you stop thinking about what Seto would look like between your thighs. 

When the plates were cleared, your hand found it’s way into his hand, and once again you marveled at his soft skin and long fingers. 

“You’ve been distracted tonight.” He pointed out, his eyebrow raised.

You felt your cheeks redden. “It’s a good distracted, promise.” You caught his smirk, and swatted at him playfully. “How about that tour, then?”

He stood abruptly, pulling you up with him, and gave you another quick kiss. He tasted like chocolate.

He gave you the promised tour - although perhaps a little hurriedly - and showed you nearly every room but the bedrooms. There was the foyer and living room, the lounge, the kitchens (which you only got a glimpse of, because his personal chef was still cleaning up everything), a ballroom, the most beautiful library you had ever seen, a modest gym, a huge sunroom, and two guest bathrooms all on the main floor. On the second were all the bedrooms and their bathrooms, including a door with a big wooden ‘M’ hanging on it, plus a game room, private theatre, an artificially chilled “cellar” filled with every type of wine or liquor you could want, Seto’s study, and, all on it’s own away from any of the other bedrooms, Seto’s bedroom. That was your last stop, appropriately.

He seemed a little hesitant to open the door, but after a second he did, and you stepped inside. To the left of the door were the doors to the closets - yes, two closets, apparently - the bathroom, and a separate powder room. To the right was a large window with a little lounge area, and the bed nearby. And what a bed it was. You felt like you could swim in it, and it was definitely the largest bed you’d ever come across. You gave Seto a pleading little glance, and he rolled his eyes but nodded.

You skipped over to the foot of the bed and, turning with you back to the bed, collapsed onto it dramatically. It was so soft and comfortable, you decided that you were going to steal the house from Seto and never leave the bed. 

But as you raised your arms above your head, you felt the waistband of your skirt roll up and just barely expose you. You moved to pull it back down, but when you looked up to Seto, now leaned against the closed door, the way he was looking at you made you stop. His hungry eyes were travelling along your legs, dangling off the bed, up to the pink little cotton panties he was getting a peak at. 

“Do you see something you like?” You purred softly, bringing your fingertips to the hem of your skirt and lifting it another teasing inch.

“I might. Haven't decided yet.” He was quiet, almost sounding a little contemplative as he pulled his eyes up to meet yours. But, he cleared his throat and walked around the bed, over to the plush chair by the window. You sat up as he sat down.

You still couldn't read his expressions, and it was a little frustrating. You were inviting him to come touch you, or at least make some sort of move, but he wasn't taking the bait. Maybe you'd just have to be even more forward. You stood, skirt falling back into place, and gave your best shot at slowly swinging your hips as you came to stand between his knees.

“Do you want to see more?”

He didn't break eye contact or speak, he just nodded.

Your fingers hooked into the waistband of your skirt and pulled down as slowly as you could muster while you turned around. You wanted to give him the best view of your ass as possible, of course. When you let it fall to the floor, you turned back to him, watching for any sign in his expression. He looked alert, and tense, but it didn't tell you much. At a bit of a loss, you simply continued to remove your shirt, though much less ceremoniously.

As much as you loved the way he was looking at you, his lack of action was making you uncertain and nervous.

“Honey,” You cooed, stroking his cheek. He leaned into your touch and, when your thumb passed by his lips, he gave it a light kiss. “Do you not want to do this?”

He gave you a heavy sigh, leaning back further in the chair. “I can't even describe how much I want this.” Again, he was just so _quiet_!

“Then what's wrong?” You were trying to stay gentle.

He took a minute to respond, but you waited. You could see his jaw clench and relax, the tension in his shoulders, and how his hands twitched.

“Takara, I've never... been with anyone.” Finally it was starting to make sense. So, the great Seto Kaiba got nervous, too. Not that you were going to hold that against him, but it definitely made him seem more human, which was certainly relieving. In a way, this was better than if he was some over-experienced, well-oiled sex machine.

“That’s okay. We can take our time with it. We’ve got all night, or if you want to stop, we can stop.” He seemed to relax a little and give you a nod when he was sure you weren’t going to laugh at him or make fun. 

Finally, choosing to be a little bold, he moved his hands to your waist and pulled you closer, letting you come over him with your knees on the chair and straddle his lap. You put your hands on his shoulders to steady yourself, and, knowing the look he was giving you, leaned in to put your lips to his. For a long time, that’s all you did. You kissed him and he kissed back a little harder, until your tongues were entangled and you could tell he was getting more comfortable.

One of his hands moved, slowly, up from your waist, over your stomach, and up to lightly cup your breast through the thin bra. He pulled away from you, a confused look on his face as he gave a little squeeze. Then you remembered what you had put in there. 

You couldn’t stop your giggling as you pulled away from him and pulled the flat little square from out of your bra and held it for him to see. 

“So, you came prepared, I see.” He said, grinning as you set it aside. “Is it that obvious what I want?”

“Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?” You said, making a choice and reaching behind your back. In record time you had shrugged out of your bra, bare breasts on display. As expected, his eyes were drawn downward. Just to give him a little encouragement, you grabbed his hands in yours and placed them firmly on your chest. “It’s rude to just stare, you know. Give them some love.”

You weren’t quite sure if he even heard you. In seconds, he had your sensitive, erect nipples between his fingers, gently rolling and tugging on them. You were doing your best to keep your composure, but the pressure was making you squirm against him. A particularly nice little squeeze elicited a tender little moan from you, and he smirked, obviously proud of himself. 

He sat up a little straighter to kiss you again, still massaging and twisting and pinching. When he was satisfied with your distracted kiss, he moved his lips down your neck, then the tops of your breasts, then, finally, to encapsulate one nipple. He earned another, stronger, moan from you as your hands went to the back of his head as he sucked and nibbled away. 

He switched back and forth between your breasts for a minute, and you let him play with you to his heart’s content, giving him well-deserved gasps and moans. But when he pulled away from your now-puffy nipples, you let your impatience get the best of you. “I need these off of you now.” You whimpered, starting to unbutton his shirt with sure fingers. When his chest and abdomen were finally exposed, you stopped, letting your hands caress him like you’d wanted to for what felt like forever. 

He sat up a little further so that he could pull off the shirt fully, and you attacked all of the newly revealed skin with your lips, leaving trails of kisses and gentle bites all over his chest, stomach, and arms. He seemed to be enjoying the attention, but it certainly wasn’t your final destination just yet. You slithered out of his lap onto your knees between his legs, and started unbuttoning his pants. He was tensing again, so you stopped.

“I want to make you feel good, Seto. Can I?” You said, looking up at him with pleading eyes. He took a second, but nodded, and helped you remove his pants, leaving him just in his boxers. 

Despite how much you wanted to hurry, you forced yourself to take some time. You kissed along his inner thighs, then just barely touched his half-erect cock through the fabric. Slowly, you rubbed him from base to tip then back down, watching his face to see if you should stop. His lips parted when you gripped him, continuing your motions, and his face started to flush. When you felt him fully harden in your hand, you gave him another playful nip on the thigh and reached for his waistband.

He lifted up so that you could slide his boxers down his legs, and now he was watching your face intently, searching for approval as his cock stood uninhibited now. To say he was beautiful would be an understatement, and you gave him a little satisfied moan as you gripped him again, just a bit harder now.

“Fuck…” As your tongue touched him for the first time, he let his head roll back. You deliberately licked at him, running your tongue all along his head, before taking him into your mouth. You started out slow and soft, gauging his reaction. You began to move a little faster, and he started a series of gasping and moaning and cursing. His hand came to the back of your head, gripping your hair and encouraging you to move. It wasn’t long until he was twitching and panting.

Very suddenly, he gripped your hair and tugged. “Takara, stop,” He groaned, and you obliged, pulling off of him with a soft pop. Your lips and chin were coated in spit, as was he. With half closed eyes, he smiled at you. “If you kept going, I wouldn’t be much use for the next hour or so.” He explained.

You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand and gave a little wiggle, pretty proud of yourself for making him feel good. “I wouldn’t have minded getting a mouthful of your cum, though.”

His smile spread, and he leaned forward to kiss you deeply. When he pulled away, he stood up and took your hands to help you up as well. 

“Go get on the bed.” He whispered, giving your ass a light squeeze as you turned around. You giggled and complied, crawling up onto the bed while he picked up the condom that you had left on the floor. You gave him as much of a show as you could on your hands and knees, turning your head to watch him approach you. There was no disguising how he looked at your still-panty-covered ass. “Take those off and sit down, Takara.” He said, trying to sound demanding but it came out pleading.

Regardless, you turned on your back and pulled your panties off, suddenly feeling more nervous than you had. You wanted him to enjoy you, and you hoped that - for his first time with someone - you would be enough. Your face turned pink, but you sat on the edge of the bed as commanded, waiting to see what he would do. 

He stood back for a moment, taking all of you in. After a moment of silence, his eyes met yours again. “You are so… unbelievably lovely.” He whispered it just barely loud enough for you to hear as he came towards you, pushing your knees apart so he could stand between them. He gently pushed you onto your back, running his hand over your breasts again, then over your stomach, but stopping just short of your pubic area.

“I need you to teach me… How to please you.”

You had to think about it for a second. You had never had someone _ask_ how to please you, everyone had always just touched you and waited for you to either moan or tell them to stop. Finally, you nodded, and took his hand in yours, pulling your knees up so that you were more open to him. You guided his fingers down to your soaking slit, gently instructing him on where to touch. You showed him first how to play with your clit, the motions you liked, and how hard to press. It was hard, as he started getting the hang of it, not to move or thrash about, but he seemed to enjoy those little moans and cries.

Before you could show him the next step, he took matters into his own hand, moving his fingers down and slowly inserting two inside of you. You couldn’t help but gasp his name and grab his wrist in surprise.

“No?” He asked, making to withdraw, but you held him in place.

“Yes, please, oh god yes!” You corrected, watching the grin on his face spread. He took that as a cue to keep going, moving his fingers in and out of you at an agonizing pace. You whimpered and moaned as you let him explore you, too far gone to be of any assistance in teaching him. At some point, he curled his fingers up slightly, pushing against that delicate place, and your writhing and begging convinced him to do it over and over and over.

You could feel the pressure building, like electricity running through your most intimate parts. You cried out for him not to stop, moving your hips in time with his hand, until you were over the edge, clamping your knees together around his arm as your muscles fluttered erratically around his fingers. He halted his motions as you began to come down from that peak, waiting for you to direct him. Now feeling overly-sensitive, you weakly pushed on his hand, panting too hard to form any coherent words.

He pulled away from you, obviously pleased with himself, that smug look on his face unmistakable. He looked closely at his fingers, wet from your excessive arousal, before he put them to his mouth to taste you. You gave him another little whimper, determined that next time, you would see what he could do with his tongue instead. 

“I think you enjoyed that,” He said, leaning over you. You pushed yourself up on your elbows to meet him in a short kiss. 

“Don’t get cocky. I’m still not done with you.” You growled into his lips. “Get up here and lay down.” As he pulled away from you, you hopped up onto your knees and found the condom on the corner of the bed. By the time you grabbed it and turned to him, he was adjusting himself on the bed, cock standing hard and ready for you. 

You crawled between Seto’s legs, reaching out and giving him one last little rub just to tease, before opening the package and rolling the condom down over him slowly. With his head propped up on his pillows, he watched you as you crawled over him, reaching between the two of you to grasp him and line him up with your entrance. 

“You still okay?” You asked, applying just the smallest amount of pressure against him to give him a last opportunity to back out. 

“More than okay.” He whispered, reaching up to move your hair out of your face. With that permission given, you sank down on him, trying your best to focus on his expression as he filled you. 

Seto’s eyes closed and his lips parted as he felt you for the first time. And it was certainly just as pleasurable for you, as well. When you had him inside you all the way, you stopped, reveling in the fullness you felt and how he pressed all those pleasing spots. Soon, though, you needed more, and slowly began to move, rocking your hips in time with your up and down motions. His hands went to grasp your ass, helping you move and encouraging you not to stop.

You were living for the sighs and groans coming from him and the look of pleasure that washed over his face. You picked up the pace a little more, but you were already trembling atop him, feeling that electricity building again. 

After a few minutes at this pace, his grip on you tightened until he made you stop, trying to pull you off. “Give me a second, babe.” He said, and you let him lift you off of him, hovering over him as you leaned in for more kisses to let him cool down.

He seemed to recover fairly quickly, but before you could get yourself situated to ride him again, he took you by the waist and flipped you over onto your back. For someone so nervous not long ago, he had gotten much bolder in his actions, and _fuck_ , was it sexy.

He climbed between your legs, which you slid up to wrap around his waist, and he nibbled on your collarbone as he found his way around, lining himself up with you before sinking in. This position was much better for you, and the penetration made you cry out a lot louder than you meant to. He could get so much deeper like this, and when he started to move, your eyes rolled back and you were reduced to a puddle of moans and curses.

Your pleasure continued to build and build as he increased his pace, panting against your neck and kissing you wherever he could reach. You warned him between moans that you were close again, and he responded by slipping his hand between your squirming bodies and rubbing your aching clit, pushing you fully over the edge.

He increased his pace as you rode out your orgasm, until he couldn’t take it anymore. Seto groaned your name and tensed up, his thrusts erratic and rough as he gripped your body. 

When he had relaxed, both of you coming down from an incredible high, you wrapped your arms around him and let him lay on top of you, head on your shoulder. His cock softened quickly, and he moved out of you, still holding on tight to you. 

“I never want you out of my bed,” Seto sighed after a long time of just holding each other. You couldn’t help but laugh, and kissed his sweaty forehead.

“I take it you had a good time?” You purred, and he rolled off of you, letting you breathe finally. He nodded and took your hand in his, intertwining your fingers.

“Stay with me tonight?” He asked, looking to you with his big, blue, puppydog eyes. How could you say no?

“Any night you want me, Seto, I’ll be here.”

You were awash in emotions, barely paying attention as the two of you settled in for the night, getting under the blanket and snuggling up together, and you don’t remember falling asleep. But you do remember being awoken by kisses and fingers and whispers, and the sleepy second round that followed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >.>


	6. I never did understand – the duality of art and reality – living life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey my bad

You couldn’t remember the last time you slept so well. You had excellent dreams, and you were so comfortable you didn’t want to wake up. But eventually, light from the rising sun shone directly on your face, making it too difficult to stay asleep. You gave a stretch, expecting to find Seto next to you, but there was nothing but more bed.

A little disappointed, you sat up and rubbed your eyes, then looked around the spacious room for any sign of your lover. The only thing to find, however, was the little note laid on the pillow beside you.

_Good Morning, Beautiful_

_I had to go to work, but I didn’t want to wake you up. Feel free to use my bath and relax. I’ve told the chef to fix you whatever you want for breakfast, so just head down to the kitchen at your leisure. If you want to drop by my office, I’ll have the receptionist in the lobby issue you a badge so you don’t have to be hassled by security anymore. Just bring in your ID, and maybe a coffee. See you soon._

_Seto_

For a while, you simply stretched and wallowed in the bed, trying to get fully woken up. You noticed the dull aching from last night’s activities and decided that a bath might be just what you needed to start your day off right. It had been so long since you had had the opportunity to just soak and unwind, so you couldn’t just pass up the opportunity.

As you flipped on the lights to the bathroom, you were stunned. Everything was oversized and pristine and marble. The separate bathtub and shower was bigger than you had even seen in those home magazines, and you couldn’t even dream of a bathroom this fanciful. Being a little nosey, you looked through all the drawers and cabinets, at least until you found the towels.

There were an assortment of bath oils on the vanity, and you picked one you liked and added it as you started running the water. A bath that big took a while to fill, but soon enough you submerged your body in the warm water, letting out a sigh as muscles began to relax and your head began to clear.

If Seto was giving you your own KC badge, did that make this relationship “official”? You assumed so, but you’d have to talk to him to know for sure. It was definitely exciting though, and you wondered - but didn’t worry - how long it would be before things got “serious,” or you’d be introducing him to your mom, or if he would even be interested in more than that down the line.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the door to Seto’s room being opened. You heard it shut, and heard light footsteps across the floor to the door of the bathroom. You sat up and started to lift yourself out of the tub, assuming it was Seto coming back for something. It was still early enough for him to have just remembered something he needed to grab. The door swung open just as you got your body fully out of the water, and -

That was most certainly not Seto. From the painting downstairs, you recognized the boy in the doorway - tall and thin, with wild black hair - as Mokuba, instead of his older brother. As fast as you could, you tried to cover yourself, and let out an involuntary scream. Mokuba also screamed, and grappled for the door handle. It was only a couple seconds between the door opening and being slammed shut, but it was certainly enough for him to have gotten a good look at everything you had on display. 

“I’m sorry! I saw the limo out front so I thought it was Seto in there!” Mokuba shouted through the door. 

“It’s okay, honest mistake.” You called back breathlessly before hearing Mokuba leave Seto’s bedroom. Well, you definitely didn’t feel like soaking anymore, so you grabbed your towel and began to dry off. You made sure to leave the bathroom as tidy as you found it before throwing your clothes back on and heading downstairs, still a little shaken.

It took you a minute to remember where the kitchen was, but after a second of standing in the living room blankly, you recalled and headed that way. You barely opened the door, just peeking in to see Mokuba sitting at the island in the kitchen, talking to the older gentleman you had seen last night that had made dinner. The door creaked as you looked inside, and they both turned to look.

“Well, don’t just stand there, come in. What do you want for breakfast?” The chef said, waving you in. You came in, a little embarrassed at both being caught and having to face Mokuba after the mishap upstairs. He didn’t immediately look at you when you came over to the island and sat beside him on one of the surprisingly comfortable stools. 

“Hmm. Got pancakes?” You asked the chef, who responded with a nod, a slap on the counter, and a “Coming right up!”. 

There was a moment of silence before you decided to be the brave one and break the awkward silence between you at Mokuba. “So you’ve got a really great home here. It must have been pretty cool to grow up with all this.” There was a very short moment where you thought he might just get up and leave instead of answering, and you were so nervous.

“Yeah, it had its ups and downs. Once it was just Seto and me, it was really cool though. Did he show you the theater?”

“I think he showed me everything, so yeah I saw it. It’s a lot bigger than I was expecting an in-home theater to be. Have any wild parties in there?” You asked, half joking.

Mokuba smirked, but still didn’t face you. It may take a minute for him to warm up to you after such a… startling introduction. “Neither of us are big party people. I’ve been to more parties this year than I ever have before, but on the up side I’ve made a lot of friends so it’s growing on me.”

“Speaking of, aren’t you supposed to be at your university? Seto didn’t mention you coming. I figured he’d be here if you were here.”

Mokuba fiddled with his thumbs. “Well, I wanted to come surprise him. I only have one class on Fridays, and the professor cancelled so I thought I’d drop by. His limo is still out front, so I thought he was here. Sorry, again… about…”

“Stop apologizing, it was an accident. But if you want to surprise him, I’m going to get my own badge later and bring him a coffee, you should come with. He’ll be glad to see you.”

Mokuba gave an eye roll you could probably see from space. “He may want his ‘alone time’ with you, since you and he are, ya’ know, fu-”

“Now hold on there, watch your mouth!” You laughed, giving him a weak little shove. “I forgive you for bursting in on me in the bath, but you can’t just go around announcing-”

“Well, am I wrong?” He finally turned to you and gave you an all-knowing little grin.

Mouth agape, you stuttered. “W-well, that… that isn’t any of your business, is it?”

Mokuba shrugged as innocently as he could. “I mean, good for him. He’s not so lucky to be a ladies man, unlike me~” He puffed out his chest like he was some hotshot and you snickered and covered your mouth.

“Ooh, I’m telling him that his widdle bwother thinks he’s a big time player.

“You wouldn’t.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

He pouted at you, and you could hear the chef laughing as he flipped pancakes. “Fine, you win. I won’t say nothing if you don’t.”

“Deal.” You reached out your hand, and he took it confidently and you shook on your new plan of secrecy - He wouldn’t say anything about Seto’s newly found sex life, and you wouldn’t tell about Mokuba’s apparently not-so-new sex life. Soon after, you were handed a full stack of pancakes, with fresh fruit and whipped cream, and dug directly into it. Mokuba told you about his classes, and you gave him some pointers for school as a seasoned college veteran. You were pretty happy to be getting to know the younger Kaiba, and he didn’t indicate that he didn’t like you, so there was a little more security in your mind. It’s family that pushes relationships apart too often.

When breakfast was over, you thanked the chef and tried to help out by getting the dishes, but he wouldn’t let you, claiming that you wouldn’t do it right (said with a wink), so you just bowed and thanked him again before you and Mokuba headed out. You decided to take your car, since you needed to get to work after visiting KC, and Mokuba could just have the limo driver pick him up, or stick with Seto and have him drive. He did tease you about still having a tape deck in your car, but when you "joked" that you would shove him out of the car at high speeds, he straightened up.

After grabbing coffee for all three of you, Mokuba helped you out by flashing his own badge at KC security and getting a wildly better parking spot than you would have gotten as an outsider, and you made a mental note to definitely use that to your advantage after getting your own badge. Inside, you introduced yourself again to the lady at the front desk, and gave her your ID. You got directed to another room, where your picture was taken and a badge printed off right there, still warm when it was handed to you. It was different than Mokuba’s badge, having a big yellow “RESTRICTION” label on it, declaring where you could and couldn’t go through the building. You clipped it onto your shirt, and were thrilled to be able to present it to the guard, who let you into the elevator without another word. 

Midori’s head snapped up when you entered her little office space, but before she could say anything you put your finger to your lips and pointed at Mokuba, who grinned sheepishly at Seto’s assistant. 

“Seto doesn’t know he’s here,” You said, barely more than a whisper. “Just ring him and tell him I’m here, don’t say anything else.”

Midori nodded and made to ring Seto’s intercom, but stopped. “Why is he in such a good mood today? What did you do?”

Before you had time to react, Mokuba snorted and you threw him a half-glare. “We just… had a good date last night. That’s all.” It wasn’t a lie, but Midori seemed to glean your meaning regardless and grinned. 

“Well, keep up the ‘good dates,’ then.” She said with a wink before ringing Seto and telling him you were here. He told you to come in, and you pulled the door open just wide enough for you to poke your head in.

“Hi.” You said with a big grin all over your face. He was sitting at this desk, gathering papers together and when he looked up to you, he raised an eyebrow. 

“What is that look for? What are you doing?” He questioned you, appearing very suspicious of your motives. But you couldn’t stop grinning.

“I got you coffee.”

“Why are you not coming in?”

“Because I also got a surprise for you.”

“Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes.”

He put his fingers to his temple in mock agitation. “What is it?”

Mokuba, seeing his chance, poked his head in above yours. “Hi.”

Seto sat up straight, and a big smile spread across his face before he got up and came quickly to the door. You opened it all the way and let Mokuba pass to meet Seto in a big hug. “What are you doing here? And why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise. Class was cancelled, so I thought it’d be nice to come home.” They let go of each other and Seto ruffled Mokuba’s already wild, tangly hair.

“You’re always welcome home, and you know I love seeing you. I had planned on you two meeting in a more formal situation, but I guess this works.” Seto came over to you then, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and, to your surprise, giving you a quick kiss. You didn’t think he’d be as open in front of his brother, but maybe he wasn’t as tense around Mokuba. You handed him his coffee, trying not to spill it all over his nice suit, and watched as Mokuba collapsed onto the sofa.

“Trust me, it was a surprise for me, too.” You said, electing not to go into more detail. Seto dropped his arm to around your waist and he steered you towards his desk. He sat down in his chair and you sat down on the corner or the desk, sipping your coffee.

“Are you going to work soon?” He asked, leaning back and stretching. When you nodded he gave a little pout. “You’re going to have a lot more free time once you’re able to hire some people. I wouldn’t mind you being a little more free to sit right there on my desk and keep me company.”

From across the room you heard Mokuba make a gagging noise, and both you and Seto rolled your eyes.

“Well, I’m always available after work, so just… send me a text. Any time.” You drew you leg up against his, trying to be seductive, but you weren’t sure it was working for you. 

“Well, you may change your mind once your website opens tomorrow-”

“Tomorrow?!” You shouted, having forgotten all about the opening. You were floored that it was finally happening. “Holy shit, I forgot. Someone’s going to show me how to do everything, right?”

Seto laughed deeply, and you felt your heart flutter at the sound. “Of course. I’ve already sent them to show your mom things, and they’ll work with you when you get in. And if you ever need help, I have some tech support who can walk you through anything since, in terms of functionality, it’s identical to the online stores for Kaiba Corp. I made sure everything would be covered for you.” 

Reassured, you leaned down to give him another kiss, almost falling off the desk in the process. “Thank you, Seto. You’ve been such a big help, I’ll try to keep things going after this.”

“You’re gonna be amazing.” He said, taking your free hand and giving your fingers a little squeeze. “Go on, get to work. I have a lot to do, and so do you. We’ll work on getting some people hired soon, but be prepared to do a lot more work until then.”

You hopped off the desk and he let go of your hand, although he didn’t seem to want to right away.

“Guess I do have a lot of work to do today, huh?” You said as you walked to the door, very aware that Seto had gotten up to walk you out and was following very, very close.

“A little hard work won’t kill you. It builds character or something. Mostly it just builds your bank account.” 

“You’re so greedy.” You reached the door and turned back to him, giving him a little shove on his shoulder (he didn’t even budge).He grinned and nodded in reply, before catching your lips again in a goodbye kiss, one hand around your waist as he pulled you so close. When he finally let you pull away, he rested his forehead on yours. 

“Send me a text later, I want to know how everything goes getting prepared.”

You nodded and pulled away from him, whispering your goodbye and clumsily opening the door just behind you. He let go of your waist, and you slipped through back into Midori’s little lobby as you shut the door softly.

“You still have him wrapped around your finger?” Midori said, not even bothering to look up from her computer as she worked diligently. 

“I don’t know who has who wrapped around whose finger.” You said breathlessly before leaving back to the elevator.

On your way out, you noticed the distinct lack of hustle-and-bustle downstairs, and it just kept eating at you on the drive to work. Does everyone take their lunch break at the same time? It would be unusual but not completely unheard of, you guessed. But still weird. 

When you pulled up to the store, however, you figured out where the KC employees ran off to. The store was packed, and people were milling about outside, all with their KC badges still clipped to their clothing. 

Immediately, you whipped out your phone and called Seto. It seems he was expecting your call, as he answered in record time.

“Pumpkin, darling, sweetie… can you explain precisely why half of your employees are at my store?”

“They’re at lunch I guess.” He responded gruffly, but you could hear the amusement hiding in his voice. 

“What did you do?”

He gave a long, drawn out, overdramatic sigh. “I may have distributed a few fliers and give an extra half hour at lunch for anyone who wanted to give you a little pre-opening boost.” 

You took in a deep breath. “Did you let my mother know about this onslaught?”

There was a silence at the other end of the line, and you could hear Mokuba laughing, followed by a slapping noise that stopped the laughter. “No.”

“Thank you for the sales, Seto. I appreciate it. But I need to go help my poor mother with this horde. Talk soon.”

Just before you hung up, you heard a quiet “fuck” on the line, and you couldn’t help but grin. He’d make it up to you, for sure.

Inside the store, you nearly had to fight to get around to the other side of the counter to assist your mother. She was clearly frazzled but in good spirits. 

“This isn’t exactly your father’s dream, but I’d say it’s a step in the right direction.” She gave you a wink, and the two of you continued to ring up purchases until all the KC employees had gone back to work. But even after that, there was no rest. You were quickly taken aside to learn how to operate the new website, check orders, how to ship, and even how to manage store newsletters. It was a lot to take in, but by the end of the lesson, you felt pretty confident. Even if you got stuck, there were people you could call to resolve your problems. 

Things were a little more nerve-wracking the next day, when you got your first orders, and almost messed them up entirely. But, you got through it, and sent a proud selfie of yourself in front of a stack of boxes to Seto, accompanied with the text, “My first orders, all ready to go. Thank you for all your help, Seto.”

The response back was simple, but you cherished it regardless.

“Anything I can do, just ask. Making you happy makes me happy.”


	7. I Could Stay Lost in This Moment Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fair warning there may be errors in this chapter because I got one fuck of a migraine while editing it. 
> 
> also, pls tell me things you want, i am 100% willing to let you direct this shitshow

Things were kind of a blur. You were getting to work early and staying late to get everything perfect. There weren’t that many online orders just yet, but there was also a lot of candy that you had in store that wasn’t yet listed, so putting them all up on the website was a lot of work, too. And even the orders that were coming in had to be carefully packed in appropriate boxes (and soon you would have your own branded boxes, how exciting!), labelled, and shipped out before your mother went home for the night. Then there were the confirmation e-mails, tracking numbers, keeping track of everything…

Ugh! It was a lot for you to handle, and to be perfectly honest, you were having some withdrawals from not seeing Seto for a full week by this point. Sure, he still sent you texts and you had even had a long call one night when you got off - during which he was absolutely falling asleep. But it wasn’t the same.

But today, you had a little hope. Your mom had called you to say that you didn’t need to come in early as she had already gotten all the packages ready and would just drop them off at the post office when you came in at your regular time. And if everything was caught up, that meant you might not have to stay late.

_ What are you doing tonight? _

_ That depends on what you want to do. _

You wanted to type back that what you wanted to do was him, but you decided it would be more fun to lead him around a bit.

_ You wanna show me around the hiring process? _

_ Maybe my office is better suited for that. Can you come in here around lunch? We can do something later tonight, too. _

_ Sure thing, Boss. :) _

The only thing wrong with that plan was that now you still had to get up early and go over to KC. You groaned as you looked at the time, before throwing yourself out of bed and into the shower, whining the whole time. The shower woke you up, though, and you felt a little better by the time you started to get ready. You almost put on something that was a little too casual, but for some reason, the “terms” of your agreement with Seto ran through your head and you chose something else a little nicer. You barely remembered your badge before heading out the door.

There was a feeling of power when you got to show your badge to the gate guard, but it was certainly fleeting when you remembered just how many people in this city also had badges. You had to laugh at yourself as you walked in and made a beeline to the elevator. But stepping out into the lounge, there was something going on…

You couldn’t specifically make out what was being shouted, but things were definitely being shouted. Midori stood in the doorway to Seto’s office, responding to him with “yessir” and “of course sir” and “understood.” The closing of the elevator door alerted her to you, and she whipped her head around to look at you, her expression letting you know that things were not well. Apparently this also alerted Seto, and you could hear him quiet down.

“Yes, she’s here, sir.” Midori said to him calmly. He said something else, and she shut the door and beckoned you to her desk. 

“Okay, so, he’s… not in a good mood.” She whispered, taking her seat back behind the computer.

“I can tell. What’s going on?” You watched as Midori began rifling through her purse, before slamming it down when he couldn’t find whatever she was looking for.

“Someone on our development team has been talking to our competitors. Some of the features we have been testing are now being worked on by another company, and they move fast. They’re saying their new console will be released like six months before ours, even though we’ve been working on this for _forever_.”

“Oh, damn. Any clues who?”

“An investigation is being launched, but the news just broke like twenty minutes ago so it’s going to take some time.” She kept rearranging things on her desk while she spoke, and if Midori was on edge, that meant something. 

Just then, the door to Seto’s office opened, and he emerged, his face stern but trying not to look as angry as he probably was. 

“I want you two to go out for lunch, and then… Honestly, do whatever you want. I just want my office empty for a few hours.” He handed Midori his bank card, which she stashed away in her purse. He was about to walk back to his office, but he stopped, and came up close to you.

“Seto, are you sure there’s nothing-”

“There’s nothing you can do right now. I need some time alone. Things will be better later, promise.” He said, nearly a whisper as he touched the collar on your shirt. He leaned in close and gave you a brief, hesitant kiss before immediately turned around and shut himself back in his office. 

You pouted towards the door, feeling a bit defeated. You understood the need for personal time, and that his anger was warranted, but why did it have to be right now? You wanted so much to go and see him, but you knew it would be a horrible idea, so you sighed and turned back to Midori.

“You’ll be fine. C’mon, let’s go spend his money.”

Midori took you to her favorite restaurant, a fairly casual American-type place, and after you had both ordered something way greasier than you needed, she dove right into the interrogation.

“So how is he in bed?” She asked, leaned on her elbows with her brows raised.

“Wow, Midori! Just straight to the point, huh?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re his first girlfriend, I haven’t gotten to get the dirty details from anyone else.”

You took a sip of your soda, and shook your head. “I still don’t even know if we’re like official,” You said, and it was absolutely true. It wasn’t something you had discussed with Seto yet, so calling yourself his girlfriend was sort of a gray area. “I don’t even know how to bring it up.”

“Oh, _darling_.” Midori said with a grin. “You haven’t seen the look he gets when you text him. Trust me, you’re very official.”

This revelation was nice. You felt that warm feeling welling up as you fought off a smile and lost. “That good to know, I guess.”

“So, how is he?”

Now it was your turn to roll your eyes dramatically. “He’s great. A bit inexperienced, but very eager to… um… please.”

Midori gave an excited little wiggle. “Phenomenal. And is he… you know…?” She held her hands out in front of her, trying to convey the real question: ‘ _how big is he?_ ’

“Midori!” You hissed, playfully tossing the drink menu at her. She laughed and had to scrounge around under the table to pick it up after it bounced off her shoulder.

“Okay, that a little too far I guess. I’m just trying to live vicariously through you. I haven’t been on a date in so long, much less had my needs met.”

“For real? You’re so gorgeous, you could get just about anyone. What’s going on?”

Midori wrinkled her nose. “I’m demanding and whiny.” She said, not trying to sound… well, whiny, just honest. “I don’t want kids, I don’t want pets. I want someone who has a good job and ambitions, and isn’t fucking crazy. And for some reason, I only attract crazy.” 

“Been there.” You said with a nod. “But trust me, someone is going to come and sweep you off your feet. Until then, what about, like, casual hookups?”

She shrugged and took a drink of her water. “I’m not against it, but I haven’t had much luck. People who are just looking for quick sex aren’t often _giving_ lovers.”

Oh, look, another very relatable statement. “Vibrators?”

“Got that covered!” She squealed, laughing loudly. The table next to yours shot her a glare, but she didn’t notice. “I’m basically a toy collector at this point. I just can’t keep away from them.”

“I was definitely like that when I lived on my own in college. Can’t so much now that I share a bedroom with a 9-year-old.”

“Just keep them all at Seto’s, I’m sure he’d love to watch.” You were taking a drink just then and choked.

“Maybe, but, uh, I think we might need a bit more exploration before we get to the ‘keep dildos in your boyfriends night stand’ stage.” 

You ate and joked together for the rest of the meal, and honestly it was so nice. You hadn’t had time to hang out with Nanami and were seriously starved for ‘girl time.’ You had mostly forgotten about Seto being so angry until you left the restaurant and Midori asked if you wanted to go shopping, flashing Seto’s card happily.

“I don’t know if I want to go shopping on his dime,” you said quietly. 

“Do you really think he’s not happy to buy you things you look good in?” She took your hand in hers and practically pulled you down the street. “Besides, we could spend a million dollars and he wouldn’t notice.”   
  
“But we’re definitely not going to spend a million dollars!” You wheezed, trying to keep up with her pace. 

“Maybe not. But look, he’s real mad. Tonight, he needs something to take his mind off the bad stuff and put it back on the good stuff - namely your ass.” 

You didn’t honestly have a rebuttal for that, so you allowed her to lead you into a new store, one just as upscale as the last time she took you shopping, but with much dimmer lights and a more racy feel. Maybe that was just the dozens of anatomically correct mannequins sporting tiny, sheer lingerie and clubwear, though.

Immediately upon entering the racks and racks and racks full of sexy outfits, Midori began holding hangers up to your body and either vetoing them silently or nodding in approval and handing them to the clerk to start your fitting room. 

You spent close to an hour in here, trying on lingerie and showing off your assets in front of Midori, before she chose your outfit for tonight - a gorgeous black, strapless bodysuit and black lacy stockings, to be covered by an off the shoulder emerald dress, one of the more modest pieces in the store. She let you pick out shoes on your own this time, opting to go grab a couple bottles of water from a nearby bodega.

As you left, thoroughly wiped out from all the trying on and adjusting straps and prancing around in heels, she sighed contentedly with her own purchase of cute, frilly knickers and a matching bralette. 

“See how fun retail therapy is?” She said dreamily.

“Don’t let me get to used to it.” You said, but honestly, how right she was. You were thrilled to get to wear this, and hoped Seto would be cooled down enough to let it be tonight. 

You hid your purchase in your car before you walked Midori up to the lounge-slash-office, but you were alarmed by the number of police you passed on your way up. It seemed that there were some interviews going on already, but it was odd that Seto had involved the police this quickly, to say the least.

“He’s basically got the entire force in his back pocket,” Midori whispered once she was sat back at her desk, not knowing if there may be officers with Seto in his office. “Besides, what kind of crime goes on in Domino City? I’m sure they’re itching to do something other than parking tickets and busting teens for vandalism.”

The door to Seto’s office opened, and a few important looking men in pressed suits emerged, followed by Seto. Instinctively, you tried to make yourself as unnoticeable as possible, standing off to the side of Midori’s desk and trying to busy yourself fondling the leaves of some tall potted plant. 

Seto was quietly reassuring them that he would “personally handle” the “situation” and for them not to worry about someone “soon to be in prison.” They all gave nods and gruff noises of approval before all boarding the elevator without even a glance at you or Midori. When the door closed on them, Seto turned his head to you.

“Why are you molesting my palm plant?”

“I’m the one who cares for it, actually.” Midori chimed in, logging back into her computer as if she were just thrilled to get back to work.

“Just, uh, didn’t want to be in the way.” You said, taking a big step away from the greenery. “Everything good?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned back to his office and, when you didn’t immediately follow, he motioned with one finger for you to come with him.

There were more chairs pulled up around Seto’s desk to accommodate the guests he had earlier, but he made quick work of moving everything back into place and then pointed at one of the chairs that remained. “Sit.”

You followed his instructions and took your seat in front of him, and he sat on the corner of his desk and ran his hand through his hair.

After a moment of him just looking at you, his eyes soft, he said, “I’m sorry that today wasn’t great. I’m not great at controlling my temper sometimes.”

You reached out and grabbed his hand. “Seto, I don’t think you really did anything out of line. You have a right to be upset when someone has betrayed you and your company.”

“I shouldn’t have been shouting like that.”

“Well, you can work on that. You told me yourself that when someone believed in you, you became a better person.”

“You remember that?” He asked softly, a crooked little smile forming. 

“Yeah,” You said, watching him closely as he came down to the floor, kneeling in front of you and resting his head on your thighs. “I remember a lot of things. Like how you wanted to make a place for kids to be free of all their troubles. And how you have been doing your best to make a better company for your employees, even if you have high standards. And how you took a random girl out for drinks and agreed to help her build up her own company, even before she sucked your dick.” You could feel him stifle a little laugh against your skin. “So, if you yell for a while when something bad happens, is it really that bad? Did you hurt anyone?”

He was quiet for a minute, turning his head up so he could see you while keeping his chin on your lap. “I don’t think so. Maybe I should apologize to Midori, she didn’t deserve it. But I wasn’t shouting at her, just…”

“Shouting at the world in her vicinity?” You asked, raising your eyebrows. He nodded and you ruffled his hair. “I think she understands you more than you think.”

You could see him relax, and he sat back up, still kneeling in front of you. You took the opportunity to lean forward and press your lips to his. Was it an ideal day? No. But things were going to be okay, you thought. When you pulled away from him, you caught a glimpse of the clock on his wall. 

“I gotta go to work, Seto.”

“Oh, fuck. We didn’t even get to go over hiring, huh?” He said as he lifted himself back to his feet. 

“We can do it later. Are you gonna be free tonight?”

“I don’t know yet.” He sighed heavily and meandered behind his desk, then flopped down into his chair. “If nothing happens today, yes. But if there are any developments, I might have to be here late. Why don’t you go to my place after work, have dinner, and if I’m still not home, just get in my bed. I’ll join you when I get home.”

You nodded and gave him the sweetest smile you could muster. “I’ll see you there, sooner or later.”


End file.
